The Power Ranger Archives:Origins 0&3:AncientAffliction&UnitedAlliance
by ShinySephiroth
Summary: In 1993 Zordon of Eltar chose five teenagers with ATTITUDE to become warriors in the war he had been waging against evil for thousands of years. The prequel story follows the first group of Morphing Masters & their exploits, while the sequel portion follows Zordon and his continued battle against the evil forces of Rita, Bansheera, Zedd, & many surprise villains from PR history!
1. Part 0 - Chapter 1: Unlikely Heroes

**Chapter One: Unlikely Heroes**

Lothor looked at each of those whom he had picked. He smiled. They would do just fine in his mind. He looked over to his partner, Regina, and nodded.

Regina walked up to address the eleven people who stood in front of her. "As we promised you, we would find a planet suitable for our cause. Earth is situated in such a way that we will be able to harness the Emotional Spectrum perfectly."

Auron squinted at Lothor and Regina. He coughed and began speaking by saying, "Does this Emotional Spectrum have anything to do with the Morphing Grid you taught us about?"

Lothor stepped forward and shook his head. "They are different fields. That is why we need to do what we can to harness everything, because they _aren't_ connected."

"Also, because of the great number of dinosaurs on this planet, the Universal Dino Energy will also be able to be harnessed." Regina added, flashing a smile to the eleven before her.

App nodded his head in enthusiasm. "Then we will be able to regulate the universe's affairs in such a manner that there won't be any problems, just as you taught us! Magnificent!"

Lokar rolled his eyes and jabbed Zen Aku in the rib with his elbow. He turned to him and whispered, saying, "Oh, yeah, sure. That is _definitely_ the reason why he agreed to this. The temptation for great power had nothing to do with it, I'm sure..."

Zen Aku laughed, drawing Lothor's attention. Lothor slowly smiled and pointed to him. "Do you have anything interesting to share with us? As long as we are a group, we need to all be on the same page. Please... do _not_ hold out on us."

Zen Aku narrowed his vision at Lothor and smirked. "No, nothing to say. I was just thinking of a joke involving Dai Shi's mother."

Everyone in the group started laughing. Dai Shi had taken it upon himself to be the jokester in the group, from the time they had been recruited by Lothorup until that point. His constant joking about everyone's particular differences were starting to get on people's nerves. Hearing someone take a jab directly at him to his face was something no one had dared to do, seeing as he seemed a little unstable at best.

Dai Shi sneered. "I'm surprised you were able to think of anything at all, you airhead."

Lothor bowed before the eleven before him and laughed. "My, my! You all are a bit testy. I guess the long ship ride from space out to Earth has everyone on edge. Let us pack our things and head to our resort. I'm sorry once again: the place where we will be setting up our headquarters is covered by jungle, and I was unable to get a safe landing."

At that, Lokar raised his hand. Lothor pointed at him, directing him to speak. "I have a legitimate question for you: if you have access to a portion of the powers you promised we would be able to tap, why were you unable to clear a path for our ship?"

All eleven venturers stopped and looked at Lothor. None of them had ever thought of asking a question along that vein. Lothor laughed. "Great question! Well, you know how much I believe in running things as close to a business as I can. So, if you go about, destroying your investors' planet, you lose relations and eventually the board of trustees will have your arm tied behind your back and will control the board of directors in such a way that they will in essence _be_ the board of directors! You see, those running this planet can make our lives easy or difficult here. Let's try and not rock the boat, shall we?"

Satisfied with their answer, they placed their bags on the shuttle that had driven out of the spaceship's Hangar Bay. The thirteen members of the group jumped in while Zen Aku programmed the destination for the crew.

As they began to travel, Tidus, one of the youngest of the group, sat down next to Auron. Auron kept mostly to himself, but had come to taking a liking to the young orphan boy. Something about him seemed familiar.

"Excited?" Auron asked.

"Not really." Tidus said. "I'd rather get down to learning about tapping into all these different powers Lothor has been teaching us about."

"Yes. This guy does have quite the tongue, doesn't he?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, how often do you find someone who is able to show us such amazing feats, then go out and recruit others to share in the wealth? It seems like people with such power would want to keep it for themselves..."

Tidus shook his head. "Lothor told us why: it's to amplify his power. He said he can't get to the next tier without a powerful group of fifteen. Didn't you watch that lecture? He gets to the next level of power, and along the way we get the same thing. It's a win-win!"

Auron gave Tidus a side smile. "I don't know. I don't think I trust everything this make-up plastered clown is telling us."

Tidus shrugged. "No one's forcing you to be here, dude."

Auron laughed. Tidus scooted away from Auron a bit in shock. It wasn't usual to hear the often brooding man do something so jovial. "Like I said, Tidus: the guy has quite the tongue on him. I'm convinced he has _something_ for me. I'm just trying to figure out _what_."

As everyone continued talking in the shuttle, suddenly a large crash was heard. Zen Aku ran to the front of the cockpit to see the shuttle had hit a large hole in the path.

"Guys. It looks as if we hit a ditch. I'm gonna need some help in pushing the shuttle."

The oldest member of the group, Trueheart, walked up to the front and looked out the front window. He shook his head and started giggling.

"What is so funny, old man?" Octomus asked, slurring some of his words together as he spoke the foreign tongue Lothor had decided the group would speak in.

"Out there. That hole. It is too rounded. Too clean. It isn't natural. This is some sort of trap..."

Lothor sneered. "If that Mesogog has dared to betray me, I'll-"

Trueheart lifted a hand and shook his head. "No, no. We are still too far out for this to be our intended hosts. They don't fit this profile, according to what you told me about them, and our distance to their location. No... I believe these are bandits. Judging by the fact they still haven't attacked us, I'd say they are quite sophisticated."

Lije of the Dawn, a young girl from a secretive civilization that call themselves "the Dawn", stood up and narrowed her eyes as she began walking out of the shuttle.

"Where are you going, little one?" Regina asked gingerly.

"These fools have picked the wrong shuttle to mess with. They should've done their research before targeting us. Lothor picked each of us because of how much potential we have to wield power. Well, I doubt there's any power in the universe that can handle us if we work together." Lije said matter of factly.

She turned around and walked out. Regina began to run after her when Lothor grabbed her by the arm. He tightened his group and shook his head.

"No, let's not stop her." He whispered. "Let's get them to already start using their powers. This is what we _want_ , after all."

Regina smiled and nodded, taking her seat. She looked to the group still staring out the window, looking to see what Lije would do.

"Well?" Regina inquired. "Isn't anyone going to go out and help her?"

Tidus laughed. "You guys weren't kidding when you said you were from the far reaches of our universe. You _really_ don't know Lije's reputation? She's crazy. She can handle herself."

Regina frowned. "But she's just a girl."

Lothor laughed. "Oh, Regina! Please don't insult my ability to choose people! She's here for a reason. Now, let's make some popcorn and pull up a chair. This should be fun!"

Suddenly, a red and white striped basket appeared in Lothor's lap, filled with buttered popcorn.

Dai Shi raised an eyebrow as he saw what Lothor had done. "What in Odin's beard is that?"

"It's called popcorn. They'll use it in movie theaters a lot. Don't worry, it's not important." Lothor said.

As they looked out, Lije began crying. She wanted to look as helpless as possible for her attackers.

The two men leapt from tree branch to tree branch, wanting to ensure they didn't fall for any traps. They weren't stupid, and didn't trust that only the little girl in the group of thirteen they'd seen earlier had come out to investigate.

"Okay, brother. Now what?" One said as they jumped along, encircling the site.

"Well, that orphanage won't feed itself. If nothing changes, we're going to have to strike hard, regardless of whatever trap they are forming. We just need to get in and out quickly before they can get us." The older brother concluded.

"Easier done than said." The younger brother said, swooping down in blinding speed from the tree on which he had been. He felt his older brother quickly falling in pursuit.

Lije immediately stopped crying as she heard them coming with her specially tuned ears. She turned in their direction and calmly pointed a hand at them.

"Star Power." She said matter of factly. A giant blast of power erupted from the star tattoo on her forehead. It crawled down her star, down her neck, through her arm and out her palm. It flew up to the two would be thieves.

"Attack on your two o'clock." The younger brother said.

"I'm aware." The older brother said, already flipping out of the way. He landed on the ground and smiled as he stared at the little girl. Staring at her from that angle, he was able to recognize her clothing and the star tattoo on her forehead. "Oh, Lije of the Dawn. What an honor it is to steal from you."

She grinned and shot another blast of Star Power at the man. He narrowly avoided a second hit, cartwheeling to the side. As he did, his younger brother was hidden near the luggage compartment, trying to unlock it.

As the older brother ran from tree to tree, leaping and dodging as a distraction, Lije was getting more and more frustrated. She had never taken so long to take down an enemy. She was getting impatient and wanted to see him get vaporized more and more.

"Enough!" Lothor ordered, stepping out from behind the shuttle. The younger brother was being held up in the air by him. He had him by the throat.

Lije stopped and stared as the older brother followed suit. He was surprised at the attire this seemingly powerful man was wearing. He looked more like a court jester than a fighter.

"Leave him alone!" The older brother ordered.

"Or, what? You'll leap around until I get dizzy? Puh-leeze. If you're going to make demands, be able to back them up!"

The older brother's eyes began to glow with Red Energy. He focused his power and shot it at Lothor. Lothor's eyes intensified as he saw the power. With his free arm, he extended his hand out, palm facing the older brother who had been trying to steal from them, and absorbed the Red Energy into himself. He then giggled maniacally as he threw the younger brother down to the ground.

"I can feel it!" Lothor yelled. "I can feel it!"

By that point, all of the shuttle's passengers were outside, staring at the odd scene. The younger brother stayed down, fearing what would happen to him should he move. He looked to his brother and shrugged. Seeing him able to absorb his brother's ninja attack baffled him. His brother felt the same way. He only used that powered up attack in dire situations, and he had never encountered a being able to not only deflect it, but straight up _absorb_ it.

"Feel what, freak?" The older brother asked.

"Both of you! Your powers! Hope and Rage flow between the two of you. It's brilliant! The Scroll of Destiny was right again!"

Regina brightened up and ran to Lothor. "You mean, they are the final two?"

Lothor nodded. "Yes. 'Brothers of Rage and Hope will be the final links to the chain' was what the scroll said!"

Lije calmly made her way to the shuttle. Not looking at anyone, she angrily walked into the shuttle. She had never been so embarrassed in her life, and she was furious. Knowing Lothor intended to recruit them made her angrier. It automatically meant they were on par with her in Lothor's eyes, and due to the fact she couldn't destroy him, perhaps even ranked higher. That was impossible for her.

Back outside, the younger brother shrugged. "What are you babbling on about?"

"I'm talking about my group! We are here on a peaceful expedition!"

The older brother scoffed. "Peaceful expedition on Earth? There's nothing here but dinosaurs. Only treasure hunters and fugitives make their way to Earth. They are all doing illegal things, so we steal from them to give to those who need it."

App stepped forward. "We are different. We came here because we felt this would be the best place to start our base of operations. We intend on training and becoming guardians of great power."

Lothor nodded. "Yes. With this power, we intend on healing the universe. We come in peace!" As Lothor said this, Regina did all she could to fight back a smile.

"Well, then. My apologies... If we may, could we help you right your vehicle?" The older brother said, seeing the sincerity in App's declaration. His brother made his way to him as they walked toward the vehicle with one tire stuck in the ditch they had made.

"No need." Lothor said, flicking his wrist. The shuttle lifted up into the air and floated gingerly to a clear location.

"Wow. That's impressive." The younger brother marveled. "I wish I could do that!"

"Wish granted! Well, kind of." Lothor said. "I wish for you two to join us in our expedition!"

"I'm sorry," The older brother stated. "We are busy doing other business."

"Like stealing for others?" Regina said. She knew they were needed for the Scroll of Destiny to be fulfilled, and these two fit the bill perfectly. She didn't know when the next pair of brothers would make themselves available as those two had at that moment. "Listen, if you want to do something real, something that will actually help others, join us."

The younger brother smiled and turned to his brother. "Dude, why don't we give it a shot, huh? What's the harm, huh? If it doesn't pan out, we can always leave."

The older brother looked at his brother. His friend. He thought of the small camp they had a mile away. No food or water. No accommodations. Just waiting for the next band of thieves to appear with treasure for them to steal. They had been out for months up until that point since their last encounter with thieves, and the payday had not been worth it.

"Okay, fine. We'll join you guys for now." The older brother said. "Who are all of you?"

"My name is Lothor. I lead this group. This is my right hand, Regina."

She performed a curtsy and smiled. "A pleasure."

Both young men, remembering their formal training, bowed and said simultaneously, "The pleasure is ours."

App narrowed his eyes and stared at them. "You were trained in martial arts, weren't you?"

The younger nodded. "We started but never finished. We became ninjas."

"Makes sense. I am a master of martial arts. I am App the Samurai." He bowed to them as an introduction.

"Wow!" The younger brother said, jabbing his brother in the ribs. "Dude! It's App! Sweet!"

"Yes... it's 'sweet'." The older brother said, laughing.

As Dai Shi was to introduce himself, with a witty comment ready, Lothor cut him off and began speaking. "You can meet the others later. We must go now. We are already late to our rendezvous. But first... what are _your_ names?"

The older brother smiled. "My name is Jakon."

"And I am Jor."

"Excellent. This will be the start of a glorious alliance! Welcome to the Morphing Masters. Oh, and I want you two to stick close to Master App. Since he already knows a bit of your fighting style, I'm sure he would be a great start to finishing your training..."

As they all began entering the shuttle, Lothor stayed behind and looked to Regina. "Are the others on their way?"

Regina nodded. "I got a message from Zurgane that he, Octoroo, and Ivicar will be arriving shortly."

"Excellent. All is going according to plan. Soon, the powers of the universe will be ours, my dear."

He leaned over and kissed Regina on the cheek. As he did, she looked into the shuttle to see one of the Masters she had recruited, Killian. She winked at him. He smiled and nodded. He turned around, controlling his anger, and sat. He knew it would all soon be worth it. Soon, he and his love would have everything they needed to have all the power in the universe.

. . .

Michael swung his blade in fury. It missed Beelzebub by a hair. The Alpha Demon flew up into the air and blasted Michael with several black and blue fireballs. Michael effortlessly hit each and every one, making them dissipate on contact.

"You will pay for what you've done!" Michael yelled, shooting a beam of White Energy at Beelzebub. He flew out of the way, chalking up another miss for the Ethereal.

Beelzebub laughed. "Me? You're the traitor! Lilith did nothing wrong!"

They both flew toward each other. As they collided, a mix of White and Black Energy exploded from them. The very fabric of space rippled from their hit. They went reeling backwards. Diabolico, seeing the two beings were tired, made his way to his master.

"Beelzebub... We must go. If you continue on, you'll be destroyed."

"I don't care! The Holy War ends now!" Beelzebub screamed, attempting to get the energy to move.

One of Michael's assistants, Tessa, flew over to Michael. "Are you okay, my king?"

Michael spit out white blood from his mouth. "No, I'm not. I'm quite badly hurt."

Tessa flew forward, between Michael and Beelzebub. "His heinous is badly hurt. He will be retreating. This battle will need to be finished another day."

Beelzebub laughed. "Father's archaic rules are only delaying the inevitable, brother!"

"Don't you mention our father! You aren't worthy to have his memory come forth from your evil mouth!" Michael cried out, tears beginning to fall down his face.

Diabolico grabbed his master. "We must go. You are too weak."

"Then help me, fool!" Beelzebub demanded as he saw Michael and Tessa fly away. "Now, while we still can!"

Diabolico shook his head. "Think with your head, not your emotions! If I attack now, that will end the one on one duel Michael has with you, and the entirety of the Ethereal army will come down and destroy us."

"... You are right... Let's head out..." Beelzebub said. He wrapped an arm around Diabolico's shoulders and began flying off through space. Turning to him, he nodded, saying, "Diabolico... Thank you for being here for me. You are a loyal friend."

"To the end, my master. To the end."

. . .

Zeus sat on his throne as his brother, Poseidon, made his way to his throne room. It had been a good deal of time since he had seen his brother. Ever since they had split the universe up, they had become so busy dealing with their day to day duties to uphold their kingdoms that it had been becoming more and more difficult to meet as a family. So, at this juncture, Zeus was happy to see his brother approach him. He stood up from his throne and walked down to embrace this member of his family.

"Poseidon! How good it is to see you!"

"And you, Zeus. You really have outdone yourself here. The palace here looks marvelous!"

"And I'm sure yours does as well."

"So... What is so urgent that you needed to see me?"

Zeus' eyes grew dim. A sad look went over his face. "I'm sorry to say this... I have felt a dark presence. It appeared suddenly somewhere in my sector. I have had a very difficult time tracking it, but recently I felt it again, and it has crossed over to your side of the universe, Poseidon."

"I have not felt it, Zeus, I am sorry."

"Like I said, I have had difficulties tracking it myself. The only reason I was able to is because whenever it first appeared, it was giving off a horribly dark energy frequency. It quickly dimmed down and was nearly untraceable. I only was able to track it as little as I could due to the fact I knew it existed, and knew to look."

"Okay, Zeus. I trust you. I will get Thor to help me track it. I'm sure Odin won't mind me using him."

Zeus laughed. "No, I suppose not. Thor does need something to keep him occupied."

"Also... to where did you track this energy."

"Oh, right. To a small planet in your jurisdiction. It is called Earth."

"I know it. A lot of water there. I'm quite pleased with that. It is overrun by dinosaurs and is usually where we find thieves and such running from being arrested. Well, I'll see what I can do to stop this."

"Fantastic." Zeus said. They exchanged pleasantries and Poseidon began leaving the room. As he did, Zeus called out to him again.

"Yes, Zeus?"

"Please... Be careful. This thing seemed very powerful. Don't treat it lightly."

"I won't, Zeus. I won't."

As Poseidon walked out, Zeus sat back on his throne. As he sat waiting for his first appointment to appear before him for the day, he thought about what Poseidon was about to do. The power he had seen was truly something to be feared. He sincerely was worried for his brother's well-being.

. . .

On Earth's barren moon, the makeshift ship crashed. The crew inside it filed out. They looked out into the unfamiliar black space. They then spotted the Earth.

"That's it." David said, looking to his group. He turned to his wife and gripped her hand tightly.

"So, he's there?" Mary asked, gripping David's hand back as tight as she could. It had been a long and difficult journey, and she finally felt it was at the end.

"Yes, he is. _She_ should be there, too..." He added darkly. He couldn't help but shoot his daughter a look. As he guessed, she had pulled out her sword.

Pointing the sword at Earth, Emma looked down on the planet. Unseen by the mortal eyes of those with her, Red Energy flowed around her. "She will pay. For everything. Everyone. For Henry..."

"Emma, sweetie... please..." Her mother, Mary, begged. "We are here to stop her. Revenge won't bring him back..."

Baelfire took a step forward, leaving his father and the others to gather the stuff from the "raft" to be with his wife. He was trying very hard to be brave for the both of them. He was able to calm her a little as he hugged her from behind. "Emma, Honey. Please. We have to stay focused. This may be our only chance to stop him. And her."

"She betrayed us, Bae!" Emma cried out, dropping her sword and letting the tears flow. "How could she!?"

Bae's father, dragging his suitcase full of spellbooks, made his way over at that point and scoffed. "I'll tell you how..." The man, Rumple, said. He looked to his son and daughter-in-law and curled his lips. "Greed. Avarice. Lust. Wickedness. I was once fooled by these things, but not anymore. But mark my words, I will do _everything_ in my power to stomp her soul out of existence."

"Rumple... Please don't. We don't need this kind of attitude now. We need to focus." David said, trying not to let him agitate Emma once again after Baelfire had calmed her down.

As they began to argue, the three others from the raft finished pulling everything out onto the moon's surface. Will shook his head in frustration.

"What a blinking waste of time this is! Everyone's gone. Get used to it!"

Anastasia scowled at Will as he kept complaining. "Will! Have a heart, will ya!? Lives were _literally destroyed_!"

Will shrugged. "I may be heartless, but at least I'm getting the job done. Alright!? Sheesh. Instead of wasting time arguing, we should be planning how we'll stop Lothor."

"I believe everyone needs to find their way of coping. We shouldn't interfere with that. This was a tragedy on a monumental level." Belle advised, finishing placing the last of the things in an organized manner next to their "life raft".

Will sighed. "Are you always so blinking optimistic?"

Belle smiled. "If I'm not, who will be?"

Anastasia walked up to Belle and hugged her. "Bless your soul. Thank you for everything. You've been great to us so far. Rumple is lucky to have you."

As Belle and Anastasia spoke, Will made his way to David and his family.

"So, what's the plan, then?" Will asked, looking around.

"We crush the little witch with her own Magic." Rumple replied sinisterly, not taking his eyes off of Earth.

"But _first_..." David said. "We scout the area. See if Lothor has placed any traps. We all know how meticulous he ended up being..."

Baelfire shook his head. "Who would have believed it was Lothor all along..."

Emma picked up her sword. "Well, he's going to wish he had never been born when I'm through with him. And Regina. They're both going to be dust."

Mary looked at David sadly. "We will get through this, Honey. We'll make this right. Together."

"I hope so, Honey. I hope we have what it takes to bring down Lothor."


	2. Part 3 - Chapter 1: The War Rages On

**Chapter One: The War Rages On**

 _2000 Years Later..._

General Zordon sat at his desk, looking over the war plan Burai had given him. The war had been slowly crawling on ever since the Resistance had been set up according to Zordon's plans. They had a rule that they would never cross over to another jurisdiction unless it was one hundred percent necessary. Zordon, using the three rules he had learned thousands of years ago from Dulcea, was able to figure out some wisdom behind the laws. He saw that if he abided by them, he was able to trick his enemies into following a certain pattern of attack. If he never escalated any battles, the enemies were less likely to strike out in Rage against the Resistance as retaliation.

Rita Repulsa had been gaining more and more recognition over the years as a dangerous foe. Although not the head of Dark Specter's empire, she was definitely the most famous and most feared. Her unique ability to make creatures grow caused devastation over the years, especially after Zordon had refused to continue using the Zordina Victory Megazord. He said that, not only did the megazord not function properly without a fifth member for Team Victory, but it was a constant pain and reminder to him of how he had caused Rita to act out in revenge. Over the years, going over past battles, he realized that if he hadn't escalated a battle and hadn't taken his megazord to her Moon Palace, she would have never gotten angry, and she would never have attacked Triforia, causing Tria to return to her homeworld to ultimately never leave. Although his wife, Trinity, said she didn't blame him for it, he never forgave himself for causing the woman he loved to be separated from her sister. He had taken the Zordina Victory Megazord and hid it in the depths of the jungles of Africa. He then gave Burai the Scrolls of Zordina, the megazord's schematics and instructions, to protect.

He and Burai had stayed good friends over the years, although the battles forced them to drift apart. After Master Vile had given up on what Zordon had later learned had been called Project White Genesis, the forces of evil attacking the universe at large had been split into two main forces: Bansheera's and Dark Specter's, although Dark Specter was slowly becoming more and more of a legend to people, because there wasn't much evidence showing he actually existed. Up to Zordon's present time, he could not figure out where the schism had occurred between the forces of evil. All he knew was that it was there and it had spread the Resistance thinner than before. This was what caused Burai to need to leave Earth and head his own army of Resistance fighters on Tarmac 5.

Over the two thousand years between the current time and when Lord Zedd had become Rita's overlord, Zordon had slowly become more and more involved with organizing and strategizing against her hordes. On Earth he helped the Order of the Claw, the fighters for the Animal Realm, and Robo Knight fight off the attacks that were creeping up from Rita, but also from local plagues "the Master" and Dai Shi. Zordon was very fearful of the latter. He could see their attacks becoming more and more dangerous, causing more casualties each time. He also noticed some bad information begin to be spread through the ranks, or vital information being leaked out. He didn't know who, but he knew _someone_ within the group they had on Earth was a mole for Dai Shi and the Master.

Zordon, Gosei, and Robo Knight had developed a powerful fighting machine for Burai to use. Robo Knight had dubbed it the Dragonzord as Burai had come to pick it up. Although it was that sector's only giant fighting machine, it seemed to be powerful enough to stave off any giant intruders. It was one of Zordon's finer models.

Over the years of not fighting, Zordon had found himself growing older and looking and feeling like it. He was tired, and he no longer had the desire to get up and fight. For a while, he had taken occasional drinks of water from Aquitar to keep him young, but he stopped, stating he was wasting a precious resource that could be used for others who actually needed it. Burai, Gosei, and Trinity were some of those who kept taking the drink. Trinity's people only had a lifespan of one hundred and twenty years tops, so she needed to continually partake of the youth giving substance if she wanted to continue enduring with Zordon over his lifetime. She was rather wroth with Zordon for not continuing his "doseage", accusing him on occasions she got very upset that he was purposefully not doing it so that he would soon pass on from this life to the next, so he could run away. He had always argued saying that it wasn't true, but after each of those conversations, he would return to his study and ponder if there was any truth behind those accusations.

Zordon jumped as he looked up, lost in his thoughts. He hadn't heard Robo Knight entering the room.

"Yes, Robo Knight?"

"It seems as if Octavia is being attacked by Bansheera and her host of Demons. Trint of Triforia wants to know how you would wish for him to proceed."

Zordon thought momentarily. "Tell him to go ahead and take Pyramidas. If he does happen to run into the Varox bounty hunters then let us know and we'll send the Aquitar Rangers to help him."

"Yes, sir. By the way, your wife says she misses you and she will be coming in soon from her meeting in Atlantis."

"Excellent. Thank you Robo Knight. That is all." Zordon said. He looked on as the loyal fighter left the room. He sighed and closed his eyes. He was very tired, and wanted to rest. As he drifted off, his last thoughts were of how he wanted the war to end soon.

. . .

Bansheera looked down from her ship and sneered. "Disgusting... I _loathe_ Octavian slime toads... yuck."

Diabolico put his hand up to his face. "I will ensure every last one is destroyed, my empress!"

Loki nodded and laughed. "Most definitely. We'll squash them all!"

"We will descend upon this planet in our fury and ensure to take all of its powers for you!" Vypra said oddly, laughing hollowly while lifting one arm in the air.

Diabolico, Loki, and Bansheera stopped and stared at her for a moment. Bansheera then rolled her eyes, turned around, and walked back to her throne. Diabolico shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, at least Vypra's doing better at controlling her host." Loki said, trying to be optimistic.

"But it's been two thousand years! Sheesh!" Jinxer said, looking around. "You would think that by now she'd stop acting... like that..."

Vypra frowned. "Heeey! That's not faaaiiir! I'm trying, 'kay?"

"Anyway... Yes, Vypra, we will go down and sap all of the magic from Octavia. Then, I will finally have enough power to take care of that traitor, 'Dark Spector'. All of these years of planning will have been worth it, my minions. The final piece of the puzzle is being set into place. We will rule the universe once again!"

Jinxer, Diabolico, Loki, and Vypra all threw their arms up into the air, yelling in excitement. Bansheera smiled as she looked out, seeing them eager to fight for her. As long as she had her loyal fighters, she knew she'd be undefeatable. And she knew that soon she'd regain her title as queen of the universe. She smiled as her Demon forces flew down to the planet, ready to mine the magic Octavia had with the special machines she created. Once every drop of magic was drained, she would be ready to take on Dark Specter.

. . .

General Marvelous laughed as he set his sights on the next planet on his agenda.

"There. That is Canine 4. Get down there and start converting people to our cause." He said over his communicator to his fighters in the Hangar Bay. He smiled as his loyal soldiers began filing out of that room toward the planet. Over the years, he had amassed a small army. He knew that if he grew too big, too fast, he would attract the likes of Zordon, Dark Specter, and Bansheera, and he knew he couldn't stand up to them toe to toe. He was doing all he could to attack and possess people on small planets, leaving as little trace as he could. It was a difficult process, but his patience was beginning to gain momentum.

His best fighter walked up to him and bowed. "What do you wish me to do, General?"

"Go down and wipe out any military they have. The sooner they can't fight back, the better off our soldiers will be."

Bio Mech Silver nodded and made his way out of the room. When Marvelous had first begun to amass his small empire one thousand years prior to his current situation, he had felt as if he could not have gone far on his own. On Onyx, while trying to gain a few Demons to his cause from the wandering spirits that had not crossed over to the Afterlife, Marvelous had come across a certain fighter named Deviot. This fighter had confronted Marvelous and fought him. After a stalemate, Deviot had asked Marvelous what he was doing, and Marvelous explained to him his desires. He remembered Deviot laughing, and saying he would offer his services to Marvelous. Marvelous had questioned why this being would want to help him, with Deviot simply saying he would like to invest in him and his empire, to be secured a place of leadership when his empire would rise to power. Marvelous understood the want and needed "investors", so he accepted Deviot's help. Over the years, Deviot had given Marvelous many things, such as a ship to travel, radar detectors, stealth machinery, and other such things. Just a few months ago, Deviot had said he had a special project he had been working on for quite some time, and had wanted to have Marvelous test it out for him. That project ended up being the deliverance of Marvelous' own Power Ranger: Bio Mech Silver. His origins were completely unknown to Marvelous, but that didn't matter much. All he knew was that Bio Mech Silver was one strong fighter, and had gone toe to toe with the Triforian Power Ranger, driving him back. With him on their side, he knew he'd be undefeatable.

One Demon slowly approached him. They both stared at each other as if they recognized the other, but couldn't quite realize how. Marvelous nodded and asked, "Yes, what is it?"

The Demon saluted. "Commander Joe Kenig reporting. I have been able to use my battalion to secure the first sector. I did not destroy a single potential host there. Do we have Demons ready to possess the hosts?"

Marvelous looked down at his hand, and back to Commander Joe. He felt something different about this Demon. He felt like he could be honest with him. "I'd like to say myself... but for some reason... I dunno why I keep resisting the urge to possess someone. I would be stronger, but..."

Joe nodded. "I understand. It's like something nagging me in my mind, telling me not to."

"So, you too?"

"There are many of us, actually. It's something we talk about a lot. There are a lot of soldiers who dread the day you order them to go through with a possession."

Marvelous narrowed his eyes. "Why, though? Why do we feel this way!?" He clenched his fist and pounded it into the console before him.

"Marv, listen, I-"

"What did you call me!?"

"I... I'm sorry, I don't-"

"Do I know you!?"

"... I was wondering the same thing..." Joe replied, confused.

Another general entered the room at that point. "Commander Luka, reporting in."

The same feeling of familiarity hit both Marvelous and Joe at that moment.

"Why do I know you!?" Marvelous screamed.

A feeling she hadn't felt in a long time hit her. A wave of nostalgia. Her gut began twisting with unknown feelings. "I... I've been your commander for half a millenia, General... I-" Suddenly, the image of a very large baby popped into her head. She saw Marvelous in some unknown cave running through it, screaming for mercy as she and other soldiers stared on, laughing their heads off. She then saw a lady in a colored robe step forward and begin chanting a spell.

Luka looked at Marvelous. "Does the name... Dulcea... mean anything to you?"

"Yes, it does! Why!?" Marvelous screamed. He then moved his foot, to go to his commander, but found himself stuck in place. "Huh?"

Joe and Luka found themselves stuck in place as well. Joe frowned. "What's going on here!?"

Luka's eyes widened. "It's a Demon Trap!"

They looked down and focused. Trying as hard as they could, they broke the physical plane and saw, in glow in the dark ink, someone had drawn Demon Traps under them.

"Who could have done this!?" Marvelous demanded.

"It was me." A voice said from behind them. They turned to find a young girl standing in a doorway. She smiled sadly and walked forward. Trailing behind her was another man. Staring harder, Marvelous realized they were only spirits.

"Who are you!?" Joe demanded.

A tear ran down the girl's face. "It is so sad you don't recognize me, brother. It's us!"

The man nodded. "They are pretty far gone. That spell should have completely brought back their memories."

"We'll get them back, Doc. I know we will."

"Who are you people!?" Bio Mech Silver demanded, walking into the room.

"We're in trouble..." Doc said, scared. "Miha... What do we do!?"

Miha dropped her spellbook in fear. "I don't know, Doc. We've come too far to be stopped now. I'm not leaving without my family."

Doc smiled. "Okay... Here we go!"

They say both got into fighting stances as Bio Mech Silver pulled out his gun, setting it for fighting those in the metaphysical plane. He was a good fighter and he knew he would not lose this fight.

. . .

The old man looked out from his tent. He could feel the Black Energy in the universe growing stronger. The powers of the Demons were getting to the point that he was extremely fearful for the safety of the innocents in the universe.

"No one should be placed in such dire straits..." He said to himself. He closed his eyes and thought. He could still feel some White Energy in the universe, and he was going to do all he could to bring it back up. To protect those who need protecting.

He opened his eyes and returned to his tent. He looked at the cards on the table. White Energy and White Magic could be felt emanating from them. He looked around and saw that his assistant had left for food supplies.

The old man sat on a chair and began meditating. He knew he would best accomplish his goals if he was constantly setting his mind on them. Focusing, he thought to himself, _Soon, I,_ _the Sorcerer of the Sands_ _, will unleash a power upon the universe that will destroy the Demon threat once and for all._

. . .

Deviot looked down upon Earth. He was very content. Bio Mech Silver had been performing well in the past while he had been working for Marvelous and his Dai-Zangyack army. Knowing he was working well, the time had finally come to get his newest project into operation.

He looked to the other side of his laboratory, seeing the Psycho Rangers lined up on operating tables. Their N-Drives were making bringing them back to action more difficult than he had planned and after a few hundred years, had pushed them to the side to work on his Bio Mech Rangers.

He knew Sentinel Knight was hiding something there, and when he had learned Atlantis was still on Earth, he knew he would need to have an elite fighting force to be able get past the powerful beings in Atlantis. He also knew he would need to dodge any of Dai Shi's forces, and the ever meddling of Zordon and the Order of the Claw. Realizing all of this, he went into his research freezer to grab specimens that he knew had the endurance to be what he needed.

Bio Mech Silver was the first of his experiments causing Deviot to begin to streamline the rest of his project to get them ready for action. He laughed as he was saw his new warriors line up before him, completely obedient.

"Rahp, online and ready."

"Risp, online and ready."

"Talp, online and ready."

"Dale, online and ready."

"Filcar, online and ready."

Deviot clapped as they finished the introduction he programmed them to give. Although they were now his cyborgs, he had to reinsert some of their life essence into them to keep the drive and determination they had once had as the Alliance Power Rangers. That is what would separate them from any other Rangers he could have made: their will to strive.

Deviot walked up to Priscilla, the cyborg now calling herself by her last name, Dale. He inspected her neck. Before Deviot had taken her life, he had programmed his blaster to be able to trick Bansheera. Instead of completely vaporizing Priscilla's head, he had teleported it onto his ship to be able to, first, make the destruction look gruesome to gain Bansheera's confidence and, two, to have the head to do tests. These tests were to ensure he wouldn't lose control of future subjects. Looking at how well the scar had healed, he nodded in approval. The nano cells he implanted in them seemed to be doing a great job of getting them healed quickly and efficiently.

"Now, my Bio Mech Power Rangers, I command you to go down and attack the location I have given to you. It is one of the strongholds for the Order of the Claw. This attack will bring them down to their knees and will weaken them enough that they will not only be unable to attack both me _and_ Dai Shi, but also make them fearful of us from the get go!"

Rahp stepped forward and saluted. "Yes, Master." They then all filed out of the room, ready to go down and fight against those they had once sworn to protect.

. . .

The commanding Ethereal sat at his desk. He was afraid that the statistics were correct. It seemed as if more and more, Demons were popping up from every corner of the galaxy. They were being actively recruited by the rising forces of the Demons. This concerned him greatly. The Demons were an abomination to him, and he didn't want to see them become the plague they wished to be. He was also fearful because they had not heard from Azazel in over a millennia. The commander knew that this was the calm before the storm.

He called in his secretary in to his office. She walked in with a notepad and pen. She sat across from him and smiled. "What can I do for you, Castiel?"

Castiel stood up and looked at her. "I need you to pass on a memo to all of our generals. It is time for us to become more active in the universe."

"What? Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Yes. I am positive. The Demons are getting to be a dangerous problem, and we cannot afford to let them continue to gain numbers and metastasize throughout the universe. Also, I feel the Power Cards have been found."

Her eyes grew wide. "How long has it been since they...?"

"They were last seen before the Holy War two hundred million years ago. The Book of Prophecy foretold it would come forth at the time of the end of the Holy War. The Final Holy War is to begin now."

The secretary nodded. "I will pass the information along promptly."

Castiel nodded and sighed as she left. He felt the burden of his task fall upon his shoulders. He was fearful that he would be unable to carry the Ethereals through this fight. As he sat back on his chair behind his desk, he buried his head in his hands.

 _I need help..._ He thought. _I need to find Michael soon..._


	3. Part 0 -Chapter 2: A Vexing Situation

**Chapter Two: A Vexing Situation**

Lothor bowed before Mesogog. Mesogog curled his lips up into a frightening smile. The fourteen Morphing Masters standing behind Lothor stared, unsure of what was occurring between the two.

"Why, hello, Lothor. Welcome to my humble planet. I hope you enjoy the accommodations. That piece of land over behind that tree will be the one I promised your group could have." Mesogog said, eyeballing each of the members of Lothor's group. He tensed momentarily when he set his eyes on Jor andJakon. He knew the two were the ninjas who were consistently interrupting his smuggling from the thieves who would go to Earth. He wanted to destroy them right then and there, but he knew that wouldn't get him what he _really_ wanted. Allowing Lothor to do what he wanted would gain Mesogog what he wanted.

Lothor smiled. "My assistant, Ivicar, will be by with the back end of the money I owe you, oh great Mesogog. Your services are greatly appreciated!"

Mesogog nodded and smiled again as his right hand man, Dracul, directed the fifteen member group over to the land Lothor had purchased. While they walked, Mesogog thought about how lucky he was to have them on his planet. He had heard the advertising Lothor had done in other galaxies. He had decided to jump in on it as fast as he could. When he hadn't made the cut for a spot in the final fifteen, he readily switched gears. He had gone to Lothorand offered a spot on his planet to do their work. He had told Lothor that he would be "honored that his planet could help in protecting the universe". What his true intentions were differed greatly.

Mesogog had listened to all of Lothor's sermons. He understood that the fifteen members of the Council would be able to summon great power. Of the thingsLothor said, this was one of the statements Mesogog had actually believed.

 _And now you are here, Lothor. You are such a fool! How could you not see through my plan!? Now that you are here, everything is going according to_ _my_ _plan. Then... when you all are ready and summon this Greater Power you speak of... Then I will descend down and take it for myself!_ Mesogog thought, laughing quietly. He then turned and raced toward his compound, ready to see what new shipments of illegal goods had come in.

Dracul seemed to walk on slowly, if one were looking at the manner in which he walked, but each of his steps seemed to paradoxically propel him forward a great distance due to his leg strength. Lothor and his crew were having a very difficult time keeping up with him. He turned back every so often to see them struggling and snickered to himself.

 _So... these are the fools who Lothor picked? Outside of the ninjas and the child from the Dawn, I don't know any of them. Posers... I can't wait until the time Mesogog allows me to break them all._

Dracul pointed to the spot once they had arrived. Lothor thanked him in an obviously fake manner. Dracul grunted in response and made his way to the compound for their people. He knew a shipment had arrived and he would inevitably be tasked with guarding it so no one would steal it while the cargo was in between smugglers.

As Jakon and Jor looked at the others unpacking, with nothing to unpack themselves, App made his way to them. As was the custom in the circle for martial artists, App bowed. The brothers returned the gesture.

App smiled. "I don't carry anything, as I see you don't as well. May we go off a ways to start _finishing_ your training?"

Jakon squinted at App. "What do you have to gain from helping us?"

"Protectors. Lothor has said he believes great evil is coming into the universe. I feel it myself. The past while... I have felt something dark has entered the universe. If I help train you two, we will be able to seal the deal on Lothor's plan to fight back. Plus, I can make two new friends!" App said, winking and placing a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Sounds good to me!" Jor said walking forward. Hesitantly, Jakon followed.

After they'd gone a ways, App instructed them to get into their base fighting stance. He then corrected them in certain things having to do with footwork and the physics behind the techniques a good stance would give them. He got into his stance while the brothers followed suit. They mimicked his every move. He then watched as they tried going through the motions without him as a guide.

They continued in that manner for a good hour. Once they had finished, App looked at each of them with the warm smile that seemed to pacify the winds. "Do you know what the difference between a ninja and a samurai is?"

"One follows a certain code while the other is more free to attack how they wish." Jakon said.

App nodded. "It boils down to honor. Discipline. Ninjas fight in the shadows, attacking their enemies unseen. True honor comes from following the codes of the samurai. One mustn't attack an opponent unless in defense. Now, what you two have been doing was for a good cause... but what happens if you continually sneak up on your victims, attacking first but asking questions later?"

Jor scrunched up his face trying to think of an answer. Jakon nodded and said, "We'll end up attacking an innocent group of people one day, like we did with you and your party."

"Correct, Jakon. Impressive." App said.

Jor smiled. "He's awesome, isn't he?"

As App ended their session, those back at the camp finished setting up their tents. Lothor sat and watched them from his tent door, sitting on a small chair as Regina walked up to him. Unseen by Lothor, Regina's true love, Killian, watched them from a distance. His lip curled up in a snarl as Regina gently kissedLothor on the cheek. Lothor closed his eyes, as if to revel in the moment of the kiss. As he did this, Killian unconsciously snapped the pole he was using to set up his tent with the palm of his hand in anger.

"This is working, Lothor. Can you believe it!?" Regina said, excited.

Lothor nodded his head. "It was better for us to do this ourselves, really. That dumb scientist was going about this process too slowly. At his pace, we would have never achieved anything."

Regina shrugged. "Well, if we had followed him, we wouldn't have need to start from scratch here. Stage One would have been complete, and all we would need to do is go conquering from there on out. I mean, there was a method to his work..."

Lothor spit out the drink he had been drinking. When Regina gave him a look of confusion, he explained. "You saying that quack had any merit made my tongue go bitter. Yuck!"

Regina, trying to gather all of her patience to deal with the clown's antics, nodded. "Yes... whatever was I thinking..."

Lothor laughed. "Oh there's the sass I love! Haha!"

As he said that, a large shadow appeared over the camp.

"Fantastic!" Lothor yelled out. "Ivicar has arrived!"

Lije of the Dawn frowned as she saw the ship. "I don't know where Ivicar is..." Lije said as she made her way to Lothor. "But that's not him. I know that ship from the auditions you did in my galaxy. Trust me: this won't be pleasant."

Lothor looked at Regina. The ship got down closer until its pilot jumped out, leaving his vessel floating above them, casting an ominous shadow over their site. The pilot looked up and stared at Lothor, ignoring the others.

"I should be here, Lothor!" The pilot yelled. His head resembled some sort of aquatic creature.

"Well... you _are_ here... unless you're not... Wait, _where_ are you if not _here_?"

The pilot snarled. "You know what I mean, Lothor! I'm strong enough to be here as a Morphing Master!"

"No, you're not. If you were, you'd have been here when we arrived. You weren't, meaning I didn't invite you, meaning you weren't good enough. Okay, buh-bye!" Lothor said, waving goodbye as he went back into his tent.

The pilot pulled out a blaster to everyone's surprise and blasted the tent, causing it to fly into the air, revealing Lothor sitting on his mattress reading a magazine.

Lothor calmly placed his magazine on the mattress, looked up and around, and shrugged. "Strong winds, I suppose..." Then, looking at the pilot, pointed at him. "Who are you, anyway?"

"How dare you insult me like that!? I am known far and wide. All know me! I am the mighty Vexacus!"

"You're soon to be space dust, fool!" Regina yelled in anger.

Killian in particular was paying attention to the scene. _Regina told me the clown is key to everything. I guess it is time to see if all this has been worth it..._

"Okay. Listen." Lothor said, rubbing his nose in frustration and closing his eyes. "I'm trying to run a business here. I eventually want to open up a business college, 'kay? I don't have time for someone to come crawling back to me as if they were a rejected contestant on American Idol! Sheesh! Leave!"

"You will pay for your disrespect!" Vexacus said as he came charging at Lothor. Vexacus was filled with Rage as he ran, especially as he saw Lothor not only standing unflinching, but commanding the other Morphing Masters to not move to help him.

Right as Vexacus was to attack Lothor, he found himself surrounded by purple lightning, being lifted up into the air. "Huh?

Lothor laughed. "Thank you for coming, Vexacus! I could not have thought of a better way to introduce these three!

"The one currently attacking you is my personal assistant, a promising talent by the name of Ivicar! Ivicar, you may release him."

The man nodded and let him fall to the ground. As he began falling, an armored warrior jumped into the air and slashed Vexacus with his sword. Vexacus then flew the opposite direction he had been going, due to the contact, and slammed into a tree. The armored warrior put his sword back into his sheeth.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Lothor began. "I present to you my bodyguard: Zurgane!"

As Vexacus was about to stand, a laser hit him in the chest, slamming him into the tree behind him once again. He fell to his knees, breathing hard. Following back, the Morphing Masters found a small, octopus-like creature.

"And here is my small scientist: Octoroo!" Lothor said, brimming with pride. He then pointed his hand at Vexacus and smiled. "Zocato power..."

Blue and black light emanated from him, washing out to Vexacus. It hit him hard. Lothor then used the power to lift Vexacus up. He threw him onto his ship, to where Vexacus promptly entered.

"See, I told you all... Evil is coming quickly throughout the universe. We need to brace ourselves. It will get worse!" Lothor warned.

Regina smirked and said under her breath, " _Much_ worse..."

"I don't understand..." Octomus said. "Why did you let him get away?"

Lothor smiled and nodded as Vexacus flew away in his ship. "Because he didn't pose any immediate threat. We need to know to be merciful!"

Trueheart nodded in agreement. "You are wise, Lothor. I know that with you leading us, the universe will be a safer place."

Dai Shi groaned within himself. _I'm going to have to get rid of these fools soon if I'm going to have the power all to myself..._

At that moment App, Jakon, and Jor entered the campsite. Seeing the three new people and signs of a battle, App ran to Lothor.

"What happened here!?" App asked.

"Oh, just an unruly guest. He was disposed of, though. He won't come back here bothering us again!"

Tidus walked up to Jor and nodded. "You should have seen it. Those three new guys were awesome!"

Jor cocked an eyebrow up. "But who are they? I thought Lothor said there was only supposed to be fifteen of us..."

Jakon, overhearing his brother, raised his hand. As Lothor pointed to him, he cleared his throat and said, "Lothor, sir... Who are these three? Doesn't this raise our count to eighteen members?"

Lothor laughed. "We're the board of directors, my good man! These three are our assistants. They will help us out. They will serve as extensions of the Morphing Masters. I call them 'The Top'."

Auron folded his arms across his chest. "Are you saying there are others under them?"

Lothor shrugged. "Kind of. Well, as of now, no. But there _will_ be. It is apart of the business college I'm wanting to make. The top three students will be placed in 'The Top'. I plan on calling the school the Morphing Academy. Pretty catchy, huh?"

"You sure do come up with marvelous ideas!" Regina said, smiling.

"And here's my next one... We're going to build a city. Right here!"

"Huh?" Many wondered aloud as they heard the sudden announcement.

"What? You don't like it? Well, I'm sorry... but that is what is needed. A small little community with a few buildings, and it will eventually develop into a grand city. In the center will be the first buildings, which you all with your powers will create... temples. They will be dedicated buildings, housing, harnessing, and refining our combined powers. _That_ is how we will harvest our Greater Power."

"How do we go about doing something like that?" Lije asked, curiosity peaked once Lothor mentioned the Greater Power.

"It will be a team building exercise! I have already selected the first team. When I call out your names, I need you to come forward to my tent- er, what's left of it- and look at the schematics I have here. These plans will be necessary to follow to ensure the building will help us get to where we need to be to release our Greater Power!"

The thirteen members of the Morphing Master council stood, waiting. Many had their hearts racing. They were excited to know their opportunity to take the Greater Power for themselves was making itself apparent.

"Xan, Tidus, Lokar, Zen Aku, and Trueheart. You all have the first shift. Please step forward."

As everyone else returned to fixing up their tents, the five chosen stepped forward. Xan was silent, as he always was. He silently smiled to himself as he looked over the schematic. _Interesting... So the_ _way_ _this thing will be designed will help us gather and refine our Greater Power. I'm sure I could do some great damage and cause widespread terror with something so powerful..._

Octomus walked over to Octoroo as the five chosen workers were looking over the plans and receiving instruction from Lothor and Regina. "Little brother... It has been some time since I last saw you. It is funny how we ended up in this same group on this planet. The universe is very large, and yet here we are."

"Ooh-ah-ooh! You know that fate sometimes weaves a funny web, brother. Regardless of our past disputes, I'm glad that it is you here and not another!"

Octomus groaned in mental anguish. "Are you _really_ going to continue rhyming? Those therapy sessions Mom and Dad paid for you didn't work?"

"Ooh-ah-ooh! They said the way I talk is a coping mechanism from all of the times I was picked on in school. It's because I wasn't cool!"

Octomus sighed. "Well... Regardless, it is good to see you. We should catch up soon."

As Octomus walked away from his little brother, he approached Dai Shi. Surprised someone sought him out, Dai Shi turned to him. "Can I help you, noodle face?"

Octomus laughed. "Yes. That's the plan... You seem as bloodthirsty and cold blooded as me. How's about you and me team up once the Greater Power is created, and we destroy them all?"

"Why should I team up with you? By the way, thank you for not coming to me with... false pretenses."

"Because I am loyal to who helps me. All I want is the power so I can rule over the universe. I don't know or care what you do with it, as long as it doesn't interfere with me. From what I've seen of you... You just want to punish stupidity. Nothing wrong with that. You and I both know we can't get the Greater Power by ourselves." Octomus said.

Dai Shi cocked his head back and chuckled. "How about I think about it and get back to you, okay?"

"Take your time. I'll be here." He shook Dai Shi's hand and walked away.

As the Morphing Masters continued about their tasks, Vexacus watched them on his monitor from his ship in space. He clenched a fist in anger.

"Lothor will rue the day he provoked me. I will get my revenge on him if it is the last thing I do!"

. . .

Michael sat upon his throne, lost in thought as his counselor, Castiel, walked in. He frowned when he saw how distraught Michael seemed.

"Your heinous... Is there anything I can do?"

"Bring back my brother, Cass. Bring him back and make it so that none of this ever happened."

"My apologies, Michael, I cannot do that."

Michael chuckled. "I know, I know..." He sighed. "It's all because of that Lilith. She corrupted his mind. Father should have never allowed her here."

"Your father was a good king. I'm certain he would have done everything the same way if he had the chance." Castiel said.

Michael nodded. "Yes, he would... But I can't sit idly by and watch these... Demons... rise up and destroy the universe. We've already seen one universe destroyed recently. We don't need another."

"Actually... That universe isn't destroyed. There is yet a remnant." Castiel replied.

Michael looked up. "Interesting... By the way, did you ever pick up on the energy signature that came from that universe as it underwent the Crisis Crunch?"

Castiel shook his head. "My apologies. We lost it."

"Well, we have enough to deal with. My brother is donning that stupid new name and out converting wandering spirits to his cause... By the way, how is the Reaper project going?"

"D said he is finishing the final details. Hopefully this project can help ensure lingering spirits don't stick around to become Demons to begin with."

Michael sighed. "Thank you, Cass. Your help is greatly appreciated. I hope with all of my heart we can end the Holy War soon."

Castiel nodded in agreement. "So do I, my king."

. . .

The being who decided to be called Beelzebub tuned his eyes to the frequency with which he could see spirit matter. He saw a few spirits wandering aimlessly. They knew not what to do. They were his perfect targets.

While Diabolico had gone out to scout the area, Beelzebub began to actively recruit those to his cause. As the Alpha for Demons, he was going to ensure Lilith's plans were fulfilled. Once all of sentient creation embraced Demonhood, as she had called it, then they would have true power over death. The unknown would not be an issue. They wouldn't need to wonder whether there was an Afterlife or not. They would be able to stay in the universe which they called theirs, immortal and independant.

He approached one of the spirits. He knew his new form would be frightening, but hoped it would be frightening enough to cause the spirit to be helpless and sucumb to the Putrid Energy of the universe.

The spirit turned around and screamed as the massive Alpha Demon made his way to him. He fell onto his back and tried scooting away. Beelzebub's massive shadow enveloped him. He panicked.

"I am Beelzebub. I offer you freedom. I offer you... immortality. Follow me, and you will live forever. What I offer you is a guarantee. Join me!" Beelzebub saw the fear growing in the man's eyes.

"Leave me alone! Please! Don't hurt me!"

"I only wish to free you of the shackles of doubt." Beelzebub said, laughing. "Do you wish to be free?"

"Ye... Yes... But..." The man replied. Beelzebub could see the Putrid Energy flowing into the man. With his defenses down, he wasn't actively resisting the waste from the universe. He was so focused on what was happening to him at that moment, he couldn't subconsciously protect himself. Beelzebub smiled as he saw the changes occurring. Although he didn't actively wish to cause the man to become twisted with dementia, it was the only way to free him from the traditions he had learned from being alive. Beelzebub would then mold him to be the soldier he needed, and to learn to channel the Rage and fury becoming a Demon would give him.

The transformation was complete. He looked similar to the way he had looked before, but more muscular. Sometimes beings, such as himself, would transform into Monsters. Other times, little to no change occurred. It seemed to be dependant on how powerful the Demon was prior to their transformation. The stronger they were, the less they needed to transform. Beelzebub was a different matter, of course, needing to completely transform to be the father of Demons.

The new Demon stood up. He howled to the sky. He then turned and stared at Beelzebub. He laughed darkly.

"I am your creator, young Demon. There is no need to attack me. I wish to help you become great." Beelzebub said. It seemed more often than not that new Demons wished to attack the first thing they saw. He wasn't in the mood for another fight so soon after battling his former brother, Michael.

The Demon grunted. "Why should I trust you!?"

Beelzebub laughed. "Because I was the one who freed you from the shackles of being a spirit. You can be alive again!"

The Demon seemed to consider what he said. "I'm not dead anymore?"

"No. Because of me, now you live."

"Why would you do this for me?"

"So you can go with me and help me bring about the destruction of the traditions of the living. To destroy any thoughts of an "afterlife", and to join our cause... to be immortal and stay here, in this universe."

"Then I pledge my loyalty."

"My name is Beelzebub. What do you call yourself?"

. . .

"Goresakubo."

David and his company of survivors landed on Earth. They made sure to stay a few miles away from the camp they saw Lothor set up. They knew they would need to be careful. Lothor was known to use Regina's powerful spells to set up hexes and wards.

"Everyone... stay close. Let's just go around the perimeter and see if we can locate any obvious spells upfront."

Belle nodded in agreement. "All of the times we rushed in before, we ended up losing many, many soldiers. If only we had known he was using such Magic, we would have done the same thing your kingdom did."

Will scoffed. "A lot of good that did for all of us. It all ended up the same. We lost _everything_. Literally _everything_!"

"Shut your mouth, why don't you!?" Rumple said, turning around and grabbing Will by the collar of his shirt. "I know we lost everything! We all do! Don't you think I feel guilty every single time I think of it!? Of course I do! But sitting around, whining and moping all the day long won't bring anyone back! Do you understand!? It's over! Now, we are still here. What we need to do is do everything we can to make it right. And for people like me..." He stopped and turned to the rest of the group. "For people like me, all we can wish for is redemption..."

Will looked down. "I'm sorry. I should've filtered myself..."

Rumple curled his lip. "Yes, you should have..."

David took Rumple by the shoulder. "You've changed. You're a different person now. That's what's important. You couldn't have known all of this was going to happen. For me... You've already redeemed yourself."

Mary nodded. "We forgive you, Rumple. All we need to do now is stick together and we'll make this right."

Rumple laughed. "Well, I don't think _everyone_ has forgiven me." He pointed over to Emma, who had stormed off in anger during the conversation. Baelfireran ahead to catch up with her.

"Emma... Hun! Slow down!"

Emma kept walking. "How can they forgive him!? I know he's your father, and I understand you, but _them_!? My parents are so... ugh!"

Baelfire ran up and grabbed her. "They are trying to be optimistic. If we all just sit around all of the time, blaming people, we won't get anything done. Everyone here will go through the same things we just did. Now, my dad has come to us, to help us. We need all the help we can get."

"He's right..." Anastasia said, leading the group to Baelfire and Emma. "We can't let grudges hold us back. If we did, there'd be no way of defeating Lothor."

"Ah... How sweet!" A woman said, coming up to the group.

David furrowed his brow. "Who are you!?"

"My name is Piper. I'm here on Earth on... vacation... and I don't like the looks of your group here."

In a mist of darkness, another woman appeared. She smiled. "I'm her sister, Phoebe, and I do have to say you all look very... suspicious..."

David and Emma pulled out their swords. Rumple walked forward and laughed. "Ha! Witches! I'd know a Witch anywhere..."

"Witches!?" Anastasia said in confusion. "They have Witches here, too!?"

"Guess so." Will said, pulling out his sword as well. He looked over and saw Belle pull out a dagger. "I blinking hate Witches!"

"Good observation..." A third woman said, appearing in her own cloud of smoke. She stepped forward. "I see you've met my sisters... My name is Prue. We run this side of the galaxy. We allow certain things to happen, and others to _not_. I don't like the powers you guys have... Especially you." She pointed at Rumple as she said this, walking toward him.

"I guess I'll be your first introduction to my special powers then, little missy." Rumple said. Red colored Magic floated around him.

"Instead of destroying them..." Piper said. "Why don't we take their powers?"

Phoebe laughed. "It would hurt, though."

Prue nodded. "That'll teach them for drawing their weapons on us though..."

Rumple laughed. "You have no idea who you're messing with. Bring it."


	4. Part 3 - Chapter 2: The Knight

**Chapter Two: The Knight**

Lord Zedd stared into the hologram as his leader, Dark Specter, spoke. He hated the fact that he followed someone, but Dark Specter had proven to be a powerful foe. Zedd knew it would be better to follow him and get his way, than to oppose the monster and be destroyed, or at worse, cut off from being able to accomplish his goals.

"The Resistance has stalemated us." Dark Specter said in anger. "And I do not wish to allow those who wish to fight against us to think they have any leg to stand on. Zedd, I order you to attack Tarmac 5. I have calculated that it is the weakest link in the Resistance. If you take it out and its leader, you will deal a devastating blow to the Resistance. That is all."

Lord Zedd stood up. He had just awoken from a hibernation sleep and was surprised to see that everything was not destroyed in his absence. Over the years, his faith in Rita Repulsa and her minions had faltered. It seemed that Rita had been falling deeper and deeper into madness. He suspected it was due to the influence the staff he had created from his raw Red Energy had on her. He could see the Red Energy flow from the gem atop her staff and he knew it was working on her. He still was unsure, however, if it was more of a handicap for the woman or not.

As he walked in, he saw Rita hitting her henchman over the head with her staff. "This is all your fault! Had you any brains, the Order of the Claw wouldn't have seen you coming! You ruined the intel Scorpina gave us!"

Squatt, while grabbing his head in pain, apologized profusedly. Baboo followed suit, bowing before his mistress. Baboo was a simple being, with not a lot going on "upstairs". Over the years, he had given himself completely to Rita Repulsa and her cause, and had forgotten how he had began in her service by being a mole for Dai Shi and Master Octomus. Since Dai Shi still had Scorpina in Rita's ranks, he hadn't minded when he had stopped hearing from Baboo. In fact, the majority of his forces didn't remember or care that Babool had helped them. His sister, Necrolai, knew he was utterly useless, so she didn't bother reminding anyone.

Finster, after recently having unplugged Zedd from his hibernation station, walked into the room. Seeing the mood Rita was in, he hurriedly turned around and scurried back into his lab, not wanting to be punished for something he knew he had not done. Although he despised Rita's tactics, he had grown a soft spot for her. He saw how much she tried, and it was endearing to him. As he made it back to his lab, he began attaching pieces of monsters together to surprise Rita with a new monster to attack Earth.

"Rita!" Zedd boomed, Red Energy visibly filling the room. Rita straightened up. She ran to Zedd and bowed before him, kissing his exoskeleton. Zedd laughed at how he had her under his control. "Rita, my servant. I have a task for you. I need you to attack Tarmac 5 immediately. There, you will be tasked with destroying its Resistance outpost."

Rita stood and cackled. "Not a problem! I already have history with the worm he is over there! Ah-haha!"

"Excellent... Then go, my minion, and do my bidding!" Zedd declared, laughing as he went to his Z Throne. He sat in it and turned on his radar from his red visor. He would sit on that throne from time to time, to monitor what was occurring on Earth and what the Order of the Claw and the Resistance were doing.

As Zedd went about his tasks, Rita finished telling her henchmen what was expected of them. Goldar stepped forward, saluting Rita by crossing his arm across his chest.

"My empress..." Goldar said, bowing. "I have a warrior who has helped me in battle recently. He should be of great help!"

"Oh, really? What's his name?"

"He goes by the name of Knasty Knight. He has a special weapon that he uses. It is enchanted with witch magic and causes any weapon that comes into contact with it to begin to decay." Goldar said.

"Amazing!" Rita said happily. "Where did you meet such a fighter!?"

"When I accompanied Dark Specter and Darkonda a while back on a conquest, this knight had been defending his homeworld. In exchange for his people's freedom, he agreed to work for Dark Specter and use his abilities to decimate other worlds."

"Then he will do quite nicely!"

"I will have him go with me to Tarmac 5 immediately!"

"Wait, Goldar..." Rita said, smiling. "There is more to this plan than just brute force. On Tarmac 5 are some powerful artifacts. We need to make sure to secure them before we obliterate the place! Ah-hahaha!"

. . .

Bio Mech Silver shot at Miha and Doc. Miha ducked behind a computer console as Doc ran through a room.

Marvelous sneered as Bio Mech Silver ran forward to get his prey. "That's it! Destroy those traitors!"

Luka folded her arms. "Marvelous... I'm confused. Who are these people?"

Marvelous leaned up against a console. "Probably some Spirits wanting revenge for us destroying their world. Nothing big."

Joe shrugged. "So now what? We're stuck here?" He pointed down to the Demon Traps beneath them.

"Hey! Silver!" Marvelous yelled out. "Could you let us out, please!?"

Bio Mech Silver turned from his pursuit. He shot at the emblems under each Demon and blasted a single scorch into the floor. It was enough to break the paint and let them out.

Miha took a deep breath as she slipped into an outer room, grabbing her spellbook she had dropped. She and Doc had found the spellbook during their journeys since they had lost their friends to Demonhood. Miha had worked on it for quite some time until she felt that she had perfected the spells the book contained. She remembered how it had felt when she and Doc had first snuck onto the ship. Seeing Marvelous, Luka, and Joe after so many years hurt her deeply. She remembered using the incantation when all three happened to appear in the ship's main room at the same time, conjuring Demon Traps at the exact spots on which they were standing. She had begun using a spell to get them to recall their past. She had been happy to see it working, but disappointed all the same. She knew in her head that it wouldn't bring them out of their stupor right off the bat, but in her heart she hoped it would.

"Let's grab Miha and make sure she pays for attacking us." Joe said, cracking his knuckles.

Marvelous nodded. "After everything we've done for her, you think she'd know better than to pay us back like this!"

"Yeah, and that worm Doc. How dare he betray us!" Luka added.

Bio Mech Silver cocked his head to the side. "So, you know these two?"

Marvelous nodded. "Yeah. We used to be Power Ra-"

The three Demons stopped in their tracks. Bio Mech Silver turned to stare at them. "What are you talking about? Power Rangers? You were once Power Rangers?"

Joe squinted, looking down. "I... I think so..."

Miha tried to suppress her excitement. _They're not out of the woods yet..._

"I don't remember!" Marvelous yelled, falling to his knees. He clutched his head in pain.

Bio Mech Silver shook his head. "I don't understand, General Marvelous. Since when have you-"

As he said this, a red light appeared around Marvelous. Suddenly, he was gone.

"Huh?" Bio Mech Silver asked, confused.

Joe was enveloped by a blue light and Luka a yellow one before they, too, disappeared.

"Where did they go!?" Bio Mech Silver demanded, pointing his blaster around the room. He hoped to find the ones responsible for this sudden teleportation.

Miha sat in the room in which she found herself as Doc appeared, walking through a wall himself. He bent over and began whispering to Miha by saying, "Miha! You should have seen what happened! Marvelo-"

Before he could finish, a green light appeared over him. Suddenly, he vanished. Miha jumped up, scared.

"What is happening!?" She screamed in panic. As she did this, she knew she didn't need to turn around. She knew who was then standing behind her, pointing his blaster.

"Okay, witch. Turn around slowly. Tell me what you have done to General Marvelous."

Pink light descended upon Miha as she began to turn. The vision of Bio Mech Silver began to blur as she found herself being teleported away. The last thing she saw of that ship was a beam of energy leaving the Silver Ranger's blaster, headed toward her. The first thing she saw of her new location was an old man in a robe, sitting on a chair before her.

Miha got into a fighting stance. "Who are you!?"

The old man smiled. "The Sorceror of the Sands. I have summoned you here for your help."

He flashed her a card in his hand. It was a silver card with a reflective shine to it. "You see, Demons are taking over throughout the universe. This is all that is left of my world." He pointed outside of the tent in which they found themselves. The two of them walked outside. All she could see was sand for miles.

"We were a peaceful race, called Sand Benders. One day, Bansheera came down and attacked us. She had some machinery with her. Her fighters used it and sucked the essence out of all of my people. I was the only one who was not caught. I was lucky..." He said, sadness filling his eyes. "I had covered myself with a pile of sand as the Demons tried to blast me. They thought they had obliterated me. By chance, I was left for dead.

"During my time after the invasion, I came upon these ancient Power Cards. They are filled with Ethereal power. I have felt that the time had come to use them. I infused a bit of my own magic into them, so the powers would manifest themselves in a way that the universe at large would see these powers and recognize them as symbols of justice.

"I then did an ancient incantation, calling upon the powers of the Ethereals to summon forth warriors strong enough to take the power upon themselves. The cards showed you and your four friends to me. They gave me a brief synopsis of your lives. I do have to say, I am very sorry for the pain you have endured these past couple of millenniums."

Miha looked down, a tear falling from her eye. The only thing that she could think to say was, "Where are they? What have you done to my friends?"

"They are with my assistant. He is speaking to them the same way I am speaking to you. I have chosen you to lead this team. You have shown great determination and endurance over your time trying to free your friends. That is the sort of dedication the universe will need. Although the cards chose all of you for these powers, it is I who have chosen you to lead this team."

"You said your assistant is speaking with them. Does this mean...?"

The sorcerer smiled. "Yes. The cards have purified them. If you will look down, you will see the cards have also returned you to the land of the living. Now, Miha, look up and see your team."

Miha turned and pointed her gaze to the skies. As she did, she saw Marvelous, Joe, Luka, and Doc descend down, wings sprouting from their backs. She ran to Marvelous as they landed, hugging him tightly.

"Nice to see you, too, Miha." Marvelous said, smiling.

Luka looked around. "Man... It's like waking up from a bad dream..."

Joe was silent, looking off into the distance. He was trying hard to forget everything he had seen and done as a Demon. It wasn't working.

Doc smiled and hugged each one of his friends. "I am so glad to see you all again! This is great!"

The five turned to the Sorcerer of the Sands. Marvelous stepped forward and shook his hand. "Thank you, Sorcerer. You have given me my life back."

The Sorcerer's assistant, Delu, appeared from behind the Sorcerer, teleporting in from where he had been speaking to the other four chosen card wielders. The Sorcerer turned to him and nodded, saying, "What is it, my friend?"

Delu swallowed hard. "If we are going to fight off the Demons on Canine 4, we have to do it now."

The Sorcerer nodded. He turned to the five chosen warriors. "Are you ready to start your fight against the Demons?"

Marvelous nodded. "I started this. I'm going to end it."

Luka folded her arms. "They'll wish they never used me for their agenda."

Joe sneered. "I'm going to make them all pay for what they're doing."

Doc smiled. "It feels good to get back in the saddle."

Miha stepped forward. She could feel the card instructing her on what to do. She looked at the Sorcerer of the Sands and nodded. "Change card!"

She lifted her card above her head. The others followed suit. Miha then said, "Sky Armor!"

A different colored helmet appeared on each of their cards as they said this. The card read their personality and Spirit, creating the armor according to them. The cards then began to shine, each one with the color of the armor that each of the former pirates would don upon themselves. As the armor appeared on their person, their wings sprouted out from behind them and flapped once, imprinting themselves on the front of their chest, as an emblem representing their Animal Spirit. Not only did the cards tap into the Morphing Grid and the powers of the Ethereals, they also were based on the martial art principle of Animal Spirits.

The final piece of the morph occurred when the helmets appeared on each of the fighters. The transformation was complete.

The pink fighter got into her stance. "The Animal Spirit of breath! Phoenix! Gaia Pink!"

The red fighter then said, "The Animal Spirit of storms! Dragon! Gaia Red!"

"The Animal Spirit of blossoms! Tiger! Gaia Yellow!"

"The Animal Spirit of Waves! Shark! Gaia Blue!"

"The Animal Spirit of Tides! Dolphin! Gaia Green!"

Gai Pink turned to her team. "Okay, guys. Let's head to the Wolfshead Galaxy. We have a planet to save!"

They all nodded. They allowed their wings to sprout out and they flew up into the sky, out into space.

The Sorcerer of the Sands smiled. "Good luck, and may the Power protect you."

. . .

As Zedd tried to figure out how he could distract those on Earth from his throne on the moon, he watched as five people appeared on one of Earth's continents. Something about a couple of them seemed familiar. He watched as one walked forward and began speaking.

"We have come to take the jewels of the Corona Aurora. Come out and face us, or we will destroy your entire planet."

Robo Knight promptly walked out from the Magic Realm. He slowly turned to the five warriors and pointed his blaster at them.

"Who are you and why do you threaten this planet? It is illogical to do so with such bravado." He stated, semi-curious as to their motive.

"I am Rahp. I have been ordered to announce my intent to obtain the jewels to the Corona Aurora. I will destroy all who oppose my team on their mission to obtain the jewels of the Corona Aurora. Are you here to stop us from completing our mission to obtain the jewels of the Corona Aurora?" Rahp said, sounding more hollow and mechanical than Robo Knight.

Robo Knight nodded. "Yes, I am here to stop you. Surrender your attempts now, and I will let you go. If you persist, I must destroy you."

Rahp turned to his team and nodded. "Bio change: Mech mode!"

With the announcement of their morph, the five instantly transformed into their Power Ranger counterparts. They got into fighting stances before announcing their names to Robo Knight.

"Bio Mech Red."

"Bio Mech Blue."

"Bio Mech Yellow."

"Bio Mech Pink."

"Bio Mech Green."

Unconsciously, the Bio Mech Power Rangers had signed off in order of their role call when they had been Alliance Power Rangers. Once done announcing themselves, a program Deviot had put in to intimidate those opposing his ranger team, they ran forward to meet Robo Knight.

Zordon, already seeing on his monitor spikes from the Morphing Grid, outside of feeling it himself through his Nathadian magic, was already trying to assemble a team of martial artists to help.

Over this communicator, Master Guin could be heard saying, "I'm sorry, Zordon. I have Hidiacs on every side over here. It feels like they are trying to rush into the Ancient City. We need every person we can to be here. I'm sorry: Robo Knight's on his own."

Zordon frowned. "You don't understand: He's being attacked by Power Rangers."

He could hear Guin hesitate. "I'm sorry, General. I'll send people as soon as I can, but we are really swamped here. Scorpina and Necrolai are here as well. I really am sorry."

Zordon slumped in his seat. As he was about to call the Aquitar Rangers, he heard Robo Knight's voice come over the radio. "Zordon, I need back up immediately. I'm losing."

Zordon frowned. He lifted his old body up and limped over to the main control panel. He sighed and thought, _I wish_ _Gosei_ _wasn't on_ _Liaria_ _right now..._

He typed in the coordinates for Robo Knight's location. Suddenly, he found himself out of the Magic Realm, staring at five Power Rangers simultaneously attacking Robo Knight. The silver knight was expertly defending himself, even causing damage to the evil rangers. Zordon could tell, though, that he was tiring.

"Zordon! Come in! I-"

"I'm here, Robo Knight."

Robo Knight blocked two punches and kicked a third ranger away from him. He looked at Zordon, shocked. Zordon hadn't gone to the battlefield in many, many years.

Bio Mech Red turned to face Zordon while his team continued to attack Robo Knight. Zordon could see sparks fly from his loyal knight as he got hit, but refused to fall. He clenched his wrinkled fist in anger.

"Move away from here, old man, or face our wrath." Bio Mech Red warned.

From up on the Moon Palace, Zedd laughed. "Zordon of Eltar? My, how you've grown old... This should be interesting to see. And why did those rangers look familiar? More importantly, who sent them?"

Zordon grimaced. "Don't tell me what to do."

Bio Mech Red slowly began walking toward him. "One last chance, old man."

Zordon closed his eyes. He began focusing. He could hear the voices of those who had called themselves the Tribunal of Magic speaking to him. Over the years, he had learned to tune out their pleas for him to return to using their magic. It had been a while since he let them back into his life.

"Welcome back, Zordon."

"It's about time!"

"Go and do your duty."

Zordon opened his eyes. Bio Mech Red was a mere three yards away from him. He forced his body into a fighting stance. "Ancient source... Meledon force."

. . .

Burai and his team walked out into the field. The distress call had come from that area, but he couldn't see anything. He told his team to disperse and comb the area.

As he began searching, he heard some crying. He ran as fast as he could, gripping his Dragon Dagger in one hand. Over his Resistance uniform was hisDragon Shield.

"Hello? Is there anyone here?" Burai asked.

A figure crawled out from behind a tree. Burai could hear sniffling. His jaw nearly dropped when he saw who it was.

"Wha-? That's impossible..."

Margaret stepped forward. "Burai? It's me, Margaret... I've escaped. I... I came looking for you as fast as I could. Please, help me... I don't want them to catch me again!"

Margaret ran forward, crying. Burai lowered his dagger as Margaret fell to his arms. Her deep sobs hurt his heart. He couldn't believe it. It had been so long since he had seen her. He knew there had been some connection between the two of them, back when they were members of the Morphing Academy. He was still in shock that she had returned, the way he remembered her.

"It's okay, Margaret. I'm here. I'll protect you. Let's get you out of here." Burai said, helping her down from atop the hill he had found her.

She smiled. "Thank you, Burai. I knew you'd be the one to help me."

 _Perfect..._ She thought. _I have him right where I want him..._


	5. Part 0 - Chapter 3: Familial Relations

**Chapter Three: Familial Relations**

Jor breathed in. Focusing, he sprinted forward. He watched as Jakon stood, unflinching. As he approached, he did as App had taught them and cleared his mind. He focused on his inner power. He solely allowed his mind to have thoughts of his training. He faked for a low kick, swinging simultaneously with his arm. For the first time in his life, his fist connected with Jakon's face.

Jakon flew back, slamming into the mountainside in the quarry in which they were fighting. He reached down and grabbed his jaw. He moved it around to ensure nothing had broken. He then looked to his younger brother, who still had his fist hanging in the air. Jor had a look of shock on his face.

 _I've got to step up my game..._ Jakon thought, running forward. He focused hard on Jor's stance. He analyzed the different directions which were possible for Jor to initiate. He thought of the probabilities of Jor moving in any certain direction if Jakon could fake a hit, similar to what Jor had done to him.

Jakon initiated a flying roundhouse kick. Jor, snapping out of his stupor, cleared his mind again, letting the power of the martial arts flow through him. As he watched his older brother, Jakon stopped his kick in a seemingly impossible way mid movement and, in the air, flipped backwards. In the middle of his flip, when he was horizontal to the ground and his face staring at Jor, Jakon searched deep and shot a blast of power from his inner spirit to Jor. Jakon landed nimbly on his feet, watching the orb of energy soaring at his younger brother.

Jor took a deep breath. He simply extended his hands out before him. As the orb reached his hands, as he felt it begin to char his palms, he exhaled and closed his eyes. His own inner power flew from his fingertips, acting as a polar opposite to Jakon's blast. The energy stood, floating, in Jor's hands. He then twisted his trunk and tossed the orb back at Jakon. Before Jakon could react, he found himself smashed into the mountainside a second time.

"Jakon!" Jor yelled, rushing to his older brother. Approaching him, he helped him off the ground.

App smiled and made his way to the practice field. He clapped and patted Jor on the back. "That went better than I could have anticipated! Jor! You're a natural.

"Now, Jakon. Why do you think Jor came out the victor?"

Jakon breathed in deeply. "I assume it's because I must practice more and be more committed, Sensei."

App shook his head. "If you practiced even more I think you very well may be the dullest person in the universe, Jakon." He laughed and gave Jakon a loving hug. Jakon sneered at the gesture. He was embarrassed enough as it was, having been beaten by his younger brother, but having App act in such a way made him feel as if App was talking down to him.

App continued explaining by saying, "No, no, Jakon. You didn't do as I said: You didn't clear your mind and trust in the power your inner spirit has."

Jakon looked up to the sky incredulously and scoffed. "Are you serious? Are you telling me Jor over here beat me because he didn't think while I actually analyzed the fight? I guarantee you he was calculating my every move the whole time. He out thought me for once in his life and beat me fair and square."

App looked to Jor. "Is this true? We're you calculating the fight in your head?"

Jor frowned. He didn't like making his brother feel wrong, but he knew he couldn't lie. "No, I'm sorry Jakon. I just did what Master App said. I left my mind blank and followed what I felt I should do. My training just kicked in like an instinct, I guess."

Jakon furrowed his brow. "How dare you lie just to kiss up to App."

"No, it's true! I left my mind blank like he told us to!"

Jakon laughed. "Well, that surely wouldn't have been a hard task for you. Your mind is always blank, anyway."

App got in between the brothers as that statement slithered out of Jakon's mouth. He put his finger in Jakon's face. "Don't you _ever_ speak to your brother that way in my presence. Family is one of the most important things you will ever have in your life. Don't you forget that.

"Jakon. Listen. You are a _very_ intelligent person. But... you rely too much on your wit and cunning. You cannot rely solely on yourself. That's borderline narcissism. You have to know there is a higher power than yourself. One that, if you always place your confidence in, won't lead you astray. You are fallible. You aren't perfect. You are liable to make mistakes. If you trust in yourself too much, and in your own wit and cunning too much, without acknowledging you need outside help, it _will_ lead to your downfall."

Jakon suppressed his anger. "Yes, Sensei. May I go now? The orphanage we have been helping hasn't heard from us as of late and I need to tell them we are working on finding outside resources for them."

App nodded. "Dismissed."

As Jor and App watched Jakon sulk away, App turned to his student. "Never let jealousy get in between you two. Understood?"

"Yes, Master App." Jor said. "He's my brother and I love him. I will always love him and be there for him."

. . .

Octomus laughed as Dai Shi stuck out his leg. Octoroo walked into the leg, oblivious, and tripped. The books he had been holding flew through the air, landing all around him. From where he was a few yards away, Octomus howled with laughter.

"Octomus, you wretch!" Octoroo said, forgetting both his books and Dai Shi, waddling over to his older brother. "This is just like boarding school, where people would pick on me and all you would do is watch!"

Octomus rolled his eyes. "Not this again. Buzz off. I'm busy." He turned around and began walking back into his tent.

Octoroo poked Octomus in the rib with his walking staff. "Ooh-ah-ooh! How dare you!"

Octomus then turned, looking down at his little brother. Disgust filled his very being. He reached down and picked Octoroo up by the throat. He lifted him up and looked at him in the eyes. "Listen, pipsqueek. Mom and Dad aren't here to protect you anymore. We aren't in school anymore. I never contacted you after I moved on with my life because, well, I moved on with my life and I didn't want you in it anymore. Understood? You're an annoying little nerd and I don't want anything to do with you anymore. Understood? I hope so. Now," Octomus lifted Octoroo up a little more before throwing him as hard as he could to the ground. His brother bounced a bit as he hit the hard earth, letting out a groan of pain. "Run off and don't bother me anymore. Loser."

Octoroo lifted himself up slowly, shaking his head. "You'll see, Octomus..." He muttered under his breath. "I'm smarter than you. After you're dead and gone, I'll still be around because I'm _smart_. We'll see who gets the last laugh..."

As Octoroo waddled back to his books, Dai Shi leaned against a tree. He had observed the entire interaction and was intrigued. He nodded to himself and smiled.

 _So this guy would treat his own brother like that, and yet wants my help and wants to team up with me? Interesting. This guy knows what he wants and doesn't let others get in his way. Maybe I should reconsider his proposition after all..._ Dai Shi thought. He walked toward his tent, pushing Octoroo again as he made his way past him, causing the small scientist to drop his books again. He then slipped into his tent to begin to think his future over regarding a possible partnership with Octomus.

. . .

Dracul handed the two thieves the money that Mesogog had promised them. The thieves smiled to each other. This was the first shipment in months they had been able to complete. They didn't know that the reason was because Jakon and Jor were no longer interfering with the smuggling ring Mesogog operated. They didn't care what the reason was. They only cared that they had finally gotten their prize.

The two thieves were brothers. They had never been terribly successful at anything they had ever attempted. When they had realized they didn't need a lot of schooling to get by on thievery, they had decided to go into that business and had never looked back. They left their family and had gone out into the universe. After having been nearly caught several times by the police, the brothers found themselves in the Milky Way Galaxy, stealing and selling their bounty to Mesogog.

They had very different personalities. One was very distant toward those around him, and the other was hot tempered, getting angry at most things very quickly. Although their birth names were Stephen and Douglas, they went by names they came up with themselves, to match their personalities: Moltor and Flurious, respectively.

As they began to leave the compound, Flurious caught sight of Zurgane walking the perimeter of the camp of the Morphing Masters. He hurriedly got Molotor's attention.

"Dude, do you see that!?"

"What? That tree?"

"No, you idiot! That armored guy!"

"Oh, yeah. I see him. That's Zurgane, right?"

"Yes! Do you know what this means?" Flurious asked.

"That Lothor is nearby and... oh! Sweet!" Moltor said, realizing what his brother meant.

"Exactly! When we saw him on Gamma 4, did you see all that loot he had!? That stuff looked super valuable."

"So... Let's steal it." Moltor said matter of factly.

"Exactly. Our next big hit, my brother, will be Lothor." Flurious said happily.

"Okay, but I make the plan."

"What!? No! I plan this one!"

"No, this is too important."

"Name a time when I made a bad plan, then!"

"Buddy. I lost Buddy because of you." Moltor said, folding his arms.

"Buddy wasn't my fault!" Flurious insisted.

"I don't believe you..."

"Fine! You plan it! Sheesh!" Flurious said, kicking the air in frustration.

"Perfect. This will go off without a hitch." Moltor said, smiling. "Soon, every piece of treasure Lothor owns will belong to us!"

. . .

Loki laughed as he and Thor landed on Earth. "Well, here we are then, huh?"

Thor grunted. "I suppose so. Father better have a good idea as to why he's sending us here in the first place."

Loki nodded. "For once, I agree with you, brother. How long until Poseidon arrives?"

Thor shrugged. "I don't know. Father just said for us to get here as soon as possible. Something about a dangerous energy arriving on Earth. I don't know." Thor sighed as he sat on a rock.

"Maybe this is our inheritance from Father." Loki said, laughing.

Thor smiled. "It would be rather ironic, wouldn't it? After all of these years, bickering over which of us should be ruler over Father's realm, this is what we get."

Loki looked around. "Sheesh. What a dump!"

"Well, there's a reason this planet is a hotspot for thieves: it's the hole of the universe." Thor said, looking around with a sneer on his face.

As he finished speaking, Poseidon appeared suddenly before them. Recognizing one of their grand leaders, Thor and Loki bolted to attention. Thor stood up quicker than lightning and stood next to his brother, looking at Poseidon with nothing but respect.

"Thank you for coming here, you two. I understand it won't be easy working together, but I need your help. Thank you for burying the hatchet for now.

"You see, something dangerous has entered the universe. We don't know what it is or what it wants, but we know it is here on Earth. I need you two to help me find out what exactly is going on."

The two brothers nodded. They both were on Earth for their own selfish reasons, which happened to be the same for the two who wouldn't care to admit they _had_ similarities: they both believed if they were willing to do anything their father asked them to do, it would show Odin that they were ready to take on more responsibility and help Odin be more inclined to give them reign over their kingdom. They thought that if they refused anything Odin would ask of them, it would reflect negatively on them, making their inheritance forfeited to their sibling. Odin knew they thought this way, and decided to ask them both to go to Earth. He hoped having to work together on a potentially dangerous assignment would help them create a bond of friendship.

"We will do all we can." Thor said.

Poseidon pointed to the waters. "We will call these waters the Atlantic. We shall then build a small colony on these waters from which we shall study this evil from afar." As Poseidon said these things, a crag jutted out from the ocean floor. Thor and Loki marvelled at his power.

"My team should be here soon." Poseidon said. "For now, let us rest until they arrive."

Loki and Thor nodded. They went to opposite sides of the field on which they were and began making a little nest for them to sleep. Poseidon smiled.

 _Just like when Father wanted my brothers and me to get along. This should be fun to watch._ Poseidon thought, looking out into ocean. He then frowned. _I only hope this doesn't become too dangerous. I hope we can end whatever evil has come to this universe, before it has long lasting effects._

 _. . ._

Rumple shot out the red Magic at the witches. After making sure his group was hidden safely, he walked out into the clearing. He could feel they were close.

The three witches together had proven to be much more powerful than he had anticipated. They had almost gotten to a few in his party, and after all he had caused them to go through, he was not going to allow anything to happen to them on this planet.

"Have you given up, old man?" Prue asked, appearing before him. Her sisters followed her and appeared as well.

Rumple laughed. "No, I haven't. I was only ensuring my family wasn't here to get hit with any debris from when I do... THIS!"

Rumple focused hard. Shockwaves of Magic flew out from him. He stared at the three witches and laughed. "Prepare to feel true Magic! Prepare to feel the power of the Nathadians!"

Phoebe frowned. She could feel the Magic ramping up within Rumple. She turned to her sisters and said, "We need to leave. Now."

They nodded and without warning, disappeared. Rumple calmed himself down and smiled.

"Now that's what I thought."

"Rumple... You shouldn't have done that." David said, appearing from behind a tree.

Rumple looked at him, annoyed. "I thought I told you all to stay put."

"And leave you here, alone? Not a chance. We're family. I wouldn't let you go here without some sort of backup."

Rumple sighed. "I guess I can appreciate the gesture. Just be careful, okay? You don't know what those witches are capable of. They are into some dark Magic."

David nodded. "Well, like I said... You shouldn't have done that, Rumple. Lothor's going to know we're here now."

Rumple became as white as a sheet. "Oh, my goodness... I hadn't thought of that..."

"Once he feels the tiniest trace of Nathadian Magic, he'll know. Is there _any_ chance he didn't feel you?"

Rumple shook his head. "No. He felt my presence. I know he did. I'm so very sorry, David."

David smiled. "It's okay. Not all is lost. We'll just have to ensure our attack is perfect, then. It'll take longer to prepare and set things up, but we will succeed."

Rumple laughed. "If only everyone were as optimistic as you. It's quite charming. You know, that's a good nickname for you: Charming."

David took the opportunity to laugh himself. "Well, I'm sure you'd just love if everyone called me that, now wouldn't you?"

As they made their way to the others, Rumple marvelled at how accepting David was of him. Even after all that Rumple had done, David made him feel like he was truly redeemed of his past behaviors. As he saw the crew off in the distance, and looked over to David beside him, he smiled. He knew he had finally found the family he had always wanted.

. . .

"Back down, brother." Michael warned, pointing his massive sword at Beelzebub.

"Not a chance. Goresakubo: attack!"

From seemingly out of nowhere, Goresakubo advanced upon Michael. Before he could attack, however, Castiel blocked him.

"Go, my king. I can handle him." Castiel said, producing a silver blade from his jacket.

Michael stared at it as Castiel parried a blow from Goresakubo. "What is that weapon, Cass?"

Castiel jumped and kicked Goresakubo, but seemed to do little to no damage to him. "It is a blade our researchers said will greatly damage, if not destroy, a Demon." Castiel then ducked as Goresakubo swung his sword at him. "It is infused with enough White Energy that it should destroy the Black Energy inside them."

Michael nodded. He looked at his own sword. He had inherited it from his father, and his father before him. It was his family's heritage. It was said to be the first weapon ever made in the universe. It was infused with White Magic itself, and was supposed to be a symbol of light and hope for all. Except for those going against it: For them, it was a weapon of doom.

"Come out, brother!" Michael yelled. He looked for his brother, but he had evaded his sight while Goresakubo had attacked. "You can't hide forever!"

As he said this, Diabolico appeared. "Leave this place, Ethereal."

Michael landed on the desert planet and sneered. "My fight is with my brother, not you, Demon."

"Your brother is _the_ Demon. If you have a problem with him, then you must bring it up with all of his children." Diabolico said, returning Michael's sneer with one even dirtier.

Michael pointed his sword at Diabolico. "Are you sure he is worth be destroyed for?"

Diabolico laughed. "I could say the same for you, Ethereal."

Michael closed his eyes and focused. White Energy enveloped him. He opened his eyes and stared at Diabolico. Diabolico took a step back as he looked upon Michael. His eyes were as white as the purest snow. He could feel the pure power rushing from him.

"Prepare to meet your end, Demon. Hi-yah!" Michael yelled. He rushed forward and swung at Diabolico. The Demon ducked into a ball and rolled forward, narrowly missing being destroyed. He looked back at Michael who was swinging back around for another strike, fear gripping him. He wanted to fight for his master, but he didn't know if he was strong enough to survive this fight.

As Diabolico continued maneuvering for his life, a man in a dark cloak watched from above on a mountain ledge. No one who would have seen him at that moment would have been able to tell anything about him. All of his features were hidden in the cloak he wore. He laughed maniacally to himself. "These Demons appear to be relentless. I can use them to conquer this universe. Then I will use them to conquer _my_ universe. Then, when I return home with these beings, ready to do my bidding, those who defied me will see I was serious. They will fall at my feet. They will know why I am called the Mythical Master!"

. . .

Lothor looked out from his tent. He couldn't help but smile, seeing the first wall of the main temple completed. He knew his plan was falling into place. He knew that soon, he would have all of the power in the universe.

"Regina..." Lothor said, sneaking back into his tent. "Did you feel that presence earlier?"

She nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. It seems he followed us."

Lothor frowned. "It would seem that way. I don't know how, but he made his way here. Ridiculous. I thought we were rid of that life completely. No matter. I don't care how powerful Rumple is. He'll lose to our combined power again, like he did the first time."

Regina nodded. "That is right, my love."

"Now, let's remember that we are undefeatable. If we do that, we will _stay_ undefeatable. It's all about playing mind games with yourself, you know. That's how you fight the other sharks and keep your pension, my dear Regina." Lothor said, walking over to a chest. He opened it and smiled.

Regina peaked over Lothor's shoulder and smiled as well. The crystal, amongst the other artifacts, glowed with an otherworldly shine.

Lothor laughed. "The Crystal of Doom sure is pretty for an item of such power and destruction. Odd how that works. Like me. I may look like an unassuming clown, but I'm really the future king of the universe. And the time is not too far off. Soon, everyone will bow before me, and no one will be able to stop me. No one!"


	6. Part 3-Chapter 3:The Incident on Tarmac3

**Chapter Three: The Incident on Tarmac 3**

Meledon Ranger ducked, narrowly missing getting hit by Bio Mech Blue. The blue ranger laughed hollowly as, while Meledon ducked, he slipped, falling onto his back.

"Zordon! Are you okay!?" Robo Knight yelled, punching Bio Mech Yellow. Sparks flew from the former Alliance general's suit as the loyal knight made contact.

"... I... I'm fine..." Meledon said, out of breath. He quickly rolled out of the way as both Bio Mech Red and Blue attempted to step on him. He got up and ran as quickly as he could away from the rangers.

 _What's happening!? Why am I failing?_ He demanded to no one but himself.

"Zordon... Your ranger powers work off of you as a template. You are an old, out of shape man. Your inactive has hurt yourself." One of the members of the Tribunal of Magic told him.

"Of course..." He muttered. As he rushed to hit Bio Mech Red, he felt the Blue Ranger run toward him. Too slow, he was hit hard by the cyborg. He flew through the air, landing in a heap a few feet away.

"...Help!" A voice echoed through Meledon's helmet as he struggled to his feet.

"Who is this?" Meledon asked.

"Commander Rew on Tarmac 3. We are under attack here. Rita's forces are descending and I can't locate Burai anywhere!"

"Contact the Aquitans." Meledon said. He watched as a laser flew past him, almost hitting his torso.

"They said they are under fire from Hydro Hog. You are the closest we have!"

And with that, the communications broke. Meledon's mind was whirring. They hadn't been in such dire straits in many years. He worried this could be the end for him.

"Knight Dynamic." The armored knight proclaimed. Multiple lasers erupted from his blaster, hitting the Green, Yellow, and Pink Rangers. "I'm coming Zordon!"

"...Thank you..." Meledon said under his breath. Realizing how he'd atrophied over the years, if he wasn't fighting for his life, he would've wallowed in his depression.

"Give up, fools." Bio Mech Blue laughed.

"Prepare to-" Bio Mech Red started. Before he could finish, his suit erupted in an explosion of sparks.

Robo Knight ran to Meledon. "Did you do that, Zordon?"

Meledon shook his head. "No. I thought you had."

Suddenly, a red blur flew through the air. It landed ahead of Meledon and Robo Knight. The figure got into a fighting stance.

"Zordon. Robo Knight. Tarmac 3 is needing your assistance. Head out now. I'll take care of these guys."

Meledon looked the warrior up and down. He was obviously a Power Ranger. He wore red on his torso. He had white "pants" with a red, bird themed helmet.

"You are outnumbered. It is illogical for you to try and handle these powerful rangers on your own." Robo Knight demanded.

The bird Red Ranger laughed. He stared as the Bio Mech Rangers assembled before him. "I'm not alone."

Just as it had been with Bio Mech Red, the other cyborg rangers' suits exploded with sparks. They were hit by the Red Ranger's teammates, appearing from up in the air.

"Who are you!?" Bio Mech Pink demanded.

The five rangers got into fighting stances, shouting out, "Power Rangers: Beast Watch!"

Before Meledon had a chance of looking them over, Robo Knight pulled him through a rip to the Magic Realm. He pulled his arm away from Robo Knight as he realized where he was.

"What are you doing, Robo Knight!?"

"Those Power Rangers are buying us time. Burai needs our help. We must leave immediately."

Meledon stopped and considered. "You are right. Get the ship prepped. We head out immediately."

Robo Knight nodded and made his way to the Hangar Bay to prepare the way to Tarmac 3. As he did, Meledon Ranger plopped onto a chair nearby. He ignored the workers walking by, whispering with excitement as they saw Meledon Ranger, the legendary fighter, in person.

 _Some legend I am... I'm useless..._ Meledon Ranger thought, sadly. _No matter. Burai needs me. I will do all I can to help him. I'm coming, my friend. I'm coming._

 _. . ._

Burai and Margaret ran through the woods. He gripped his Dragon Dagger tightly. He looked at Margaret. Pity gripped his heart as he looked at how broken she appeared before him. His mind wandered to what horrible things she had undoubtedly endured under Master Vile's reign over her.

 _I'll get you out of this, Margaret. I promise._

"Thank you, Burai." Margaret said, faking a pitiful look.

"Of course. Like you told me, these monsters are attacking to get you. My people will hold them off. I trust them. I'll do all I can to get you to safety."

"How far are we from the base, though? Can they still get to us quickly?"

Burai shook his head. "We're too far out. They probably won't even hear any communications from us. We should be safe."

"Good to know!" Goldar yelled, appearing in a blaze of flames. Beside him was Knasty Knight.

"Stand back, Margaret!" Burai yelled. He focused on the Dragon Coin in his pocket and yelled, "It's morphin' time! Dragon!"

Burai, now the Green Ranger, shielded Margaret as he stared down the two monsters.

Margaret hugged the Green Ranger around the waist tightly. Green Ranger stared, confused. He knew not why the monsters were not approaching him. Before too long, however, he found out why. Margaret quickly reached down to the buckle on Green Ranger's belt that was there to house his coin, ripping the Dragon Coin away from him. He instantly demorphed.

"Huh!?" Burai cried out. He spun around to see that no longer Margaret stood behind him, but Rita Repulsa.

"Tricked ya! Fool!" Rita yelled, laughing. Unbeknownst to her, however, the Green Energy emanating from him was interacting with the Blue Energy first planted in her 2000 years ago by Dulcea's Nathadian spell. Not only was he getting power from her, but her from him. She was taking the lion's share, which was unfortunate for him.

"Margaret... No..."

"Margaret was an illusion, fool! Haha! Good luck fighting without your precious Power Coin! Ah-haha!" Rita cackled, teleporting away into a ship in space. Staring down at the planet, for the first time in 2000 years, she heard a word floating through her mind: "Hope".

Burai stood, staring at the monsters. His head was spinning. He wondered how he could have been so stupid. He wanted to believe so much that in the midst of all the horrible things occurring in the universe, that miracles could happen. He felt like digging a hole and burying himself in it for the shame he had. He had lost the Dragon Coin and given it to one of the most dangerous beings in the universe. He could only guess at what the repercussions for such an action would be.

He could hear the monsters just standing, pointing and laughing at him. Looking down, his stomach did a flip when he saw both his Dragon Dagger and Shield were gone, having been taken with the coin. His artificial Animal Spirit had been taken from him and he knew not if he could get it back. He dug down deep, pulling all bits of Willpower he had. He knew he still had a job to do. Sneering, he pointed at Knasty Knight and Goldar.

"Look! The Human wants to fight!" Goldar said, laughing harder.

"Know when to give up. You lose!" Knasty Knight advised.

Burai shook his head. "I'm not done yet. I summon the Sword of Darkness!"

 _. . ._

Gosei sat across from Notrom. He looked at the Greatest Treasure in the Universe glowing behind the Liarian. Six Ranger Keys were glowing around it as well. They were the keys to the Greater Power of the Space Rangers. They were harvested from the legendary Silver Space Ranger, who over the years had become known as the Panama Ranger, and his team of universe enforcers.

Gosei thought on the other Ranger keys that existed. He thought on specifically the Gokaiger Keys, inert in the Magic Realm on Earth. He was sorely disappointed. The only key that worked was the Silver Ranger Key, while the others had no power, being reverse engineered from Guy Kari's powers.

"I figured as much..." Notrom said disappointedly. "Thank you for trying all of these years to get them working, Gosei. I know Guy and Gerlit would've appreciated it."

Gosei nodded, struck by sadness. Gerlit had passed away in battle five hundred years prior against Queen Bansheera while defending the Ranger Keys. Guy had been gone for quite some time. Although urged and offered by the Resistance to stay alive using Aquitian waters, he had refused. He never said why, but Gosei knew: he greatly missed his pirate teammates and couldn't bear to live on when he knew they had sacrificed themselves in the line of duty, while he had survived. The "survivor's guilt" had gotten to him, and he decided to pass on when his time had come.

"I won't give up. I know we need all of the ranger powers we can get to protect the Greatest Treasure. Plus, I think it would be great to honor them after their sacrifice."

Notrom nodded. "Well, please see if you can find out anything about what people have called 'Beast Watch', please. I have heard reports of this new ranger team and if it's true, we need them, too."

"Will do." Gosei said. "Now, shall we get to programming?"

Notrom nodded. He pulled out his schematics and he and Gosei began working on it. He knew they would need to move the Greatest Treasure soon, and when they did they would need to be ready.

 _. . ._

Landing on Canine 4, the Gaia Rangers looked around. They looked to Gaia Red.

"Where would the Demons be right now?" Gaia Pink asked.

"They have had enough time to... harvest this planet. Geez, just saying that makes me sick. We gotta cream these guys. They will probably be back at the arrival point."

Gaia Blue stepped forward. "I was the one assigned to the drop off. Follow me. I remember the coordinates."

Wings sprouted from his back. He blasted off into the air. The rest of the Ethereal based Power Rangers soared behind him. They looked down and saw a large mass of Demons, congregated together.

Gaia Blue sneered behind his helmet. "There they are. Let's get them."

The Gaia Rangers blasted down. They landed with a crash. Chunks of Earth flew in multiple directions. The Demons stared, confused.

Gaia Pink stepped forward. "Your kind has caused me nothing but pain. I hate you all!"

Gaia Red was next. "I'm sorry I led you all to do these things. I hope I can redeem myself by stopping you. I hope once your spirits find rest, you can forgive me."

Gaia Green straightened his belt to be perfectly centered with his uniform. "You've given me nothing but 2000 years of headaches. Now it's my turn to be _your_ headache!"

Gaia Yellow placed a hand behind her head and scoffed. "Hey, guys. It's good to see you again. Now prepare to be crushed."

Gaia Blue stood for a moment. Red Energy floated invisibly around him. He shook his head. "You lost, confused souls. Let me take you to your rest. Let me ease your pains... and my own."

The Demons, gaining their composure, roared in fury. They rushed forward to attack. The rangers stood their ground, ready to fight back. Gaia Pink clenched her fist. She would get revenge on the beings who stole her friends from her.

As the Demons approached, a sudden blast sent them flying back. A man in a tan coat stood before them.

"Who are you?" Gaia Yellow demanded.

"I am king of the Ethereals, the people who created your Power Cards. My name is Castiel. Listen to me. The cards at your disposal were created specifically to fight the Demons. If you use them, it will teach you how to cleanse these spirits from the filth the universe has pumped them with, just as it did for you three." Castiel said, pointing at Gaia Blue, Red, and Yellow.

Gaia Pink summoned her weapon. The other rangers followed suit. The Morphing Grid and the Power Cards taught them what to do next. After connecting all of their weapons together, the Gaia Rangers felt impressed to bring out their cards.

 _Here's to seeing if it works..._ Castiel thought, watching the rangers at work.

Together, the Gaia Rangers shouted out, "Blaster, ready! Dynamic Victory Charge!"

A blast of White Energy erupted from their cannon. It hit the Demons hard. Right before their eyes, they could see the spirits returning to their normal selves, while those who were possessed were freed from their horrible captivity. Suddenly, the White Light leading to the Afterlife appeared, offering its unknown portal to those willing to step in.

Castiel walked forward as the spirits ran find what they hoped would be solace from the toils of the world in which they lived. He smiled and turned to Gaia Pink. "I have a lot to inform you on."

From up in space on the Dai-Zangyack shi, Bio Mech Silver laughed as he saw the Gaia Rangers demorph, revealing their true identities. He recognized them all immediately. "So, they have been purified and have all but eliminated the Dai-Zangyack in one fell swoop. Interesting development. Deviot will want to know about this for sure..."

 _. . ._

Burai fell to his knees. He was breathing hard. He could barely hold onto his weapon. Tears streamed down his face.

"Interesting weapon..." Knasty Knight said. "It seems to be impervious to my own weapon's enchantments."

Goldar walked over to Burai. "I told you, long ago, that one day you would bow down before me, Green Ranger. That day has come! Ah-haha!"

Burai spit as he tried to stand. Goldar kicked him in the stomach, causing him to fall onto his face. He tried reaching out to the Sword of Darkness, which he had dropped. Goldar laughed again and bent over, picking it up for himself.

"Thank you, Green Ranger. You are so generous, giving my empress so many wonderful gifts. I'll give this to her, with your love for her. Should I make it out to Rita or Margaret!? Ah-haha!" Goldar mocked. With that, he vanished in a flash a fire.

"No..." Burai said, feeling defeated. "It can't end like this."

"Oh, but it will, young warrior. It will."

Burai looked around him. His battle with Goldar and Knasty Knight had taken him back to a field around his base. Around in the grass, the bodies of his fellow Resistance fighters lay strewn about. He limped over to one, taking the weapon the fallen warrior had once wielded from his cold, lifeless hands: an axe.

"Give up!" Knasty Knight yelled.

"Never. I have the will to keep going. I'll never give up. Ahhhh!" Burai yelled. He lunged forward, swinging as he did.

As he swung, he crossed paths Knasty Knight who swung as well. They both missed. Burai swung his axe, hitting Knasty Knight's sword. As the axe began to decay, Burai attempted a kick. The evil knight brought up his shield, blocking the kick.

Burai instantly ducked and rolled forward. As he rolled under Knasty Knight, he spun back around and swiped his melting axe at his foe. As his axe flew through the air, it once again made contact with the knight's sword. Burai got kicked in the stomach at that point, falling onto his back. He dropped his then melted weapon, useless to him.

Above in the sky, the small space jet blasted down. It scanned the area for activity and found Knasty Knight, looming over Burai. Robo Knight locked onto the site.

"He is there, Zordon."

Meledon Ranger nodded. "Let's go."

Teleporting down to the location, they began running the few yards to Burai and Knasty Knight.

Unaware of those approaching him, Knasty Knight raised his sword, blade pointing down. "You have fought well. There is no shame in this defeat. Farewell, you strong willed fighter."

Burai spat at him. "You'll pay for this..."

"Burai!" Meledon Ranger screamed.

"Stand down immediately!" Robo Knight demanded.

"Zordon...?" Burai asked aloud. As the words slipped from his mouth, Knasty Knight sunk his blade into Burai's chest.

"Nooo!" Meledon yelled.

As Knasty Knight yanked the sword from Burai's body, Robo Knight reached the scene, producing his own blade. He slashed Knasty Knight's chest in a rapid succession.

"You wear the armor of a knight, but you fight for evil." Robo Knight said, parrying Knasty Knight's sword slash. "I will show you how a _real_ knight battles."

As the two knights battled, Meledon Ranger knelt beside his friend. He lifted up his head in his hands as he demorphed.

Burai attempted a smile. "Nice to... see you out and a... about... old man..."

Zordon focused on his tap to the Morphing Grid, to help infuse Burai with more energy to revitalize him. It wasn't working.

Burai shook his head. "We both know this... wo... wound is too great. The... Grid can't do much... for me..."

Zordon pounded his fist into the ground, fury building inside him. A mix of White and Red Energy floated around him. Tears streamed down his face as he looked to his long time friend.

He thought of the times they had met in battle during the interview processes to be a member of The Top. He thought of the many projects they had worked on together. He remembered losing a coin toss and needing to name some vehicles he and Burai had built into Storm Blaster and Lightning Cruiser.

Zordon remembered how Burai had been supposed to be the one to be called up to be a Morphing Master, and how he himself had only become one through the meddling of the being known to him only as the Guardian. Zordon thought of how much sacrifice Burai had gone through in the name of justice. How he had helped mentor the Alliance Power Rangers, and had served in Team Victory as the Green Ranger, replacing Dulcea after she sacrificed herself to defeat Ivan Ooze.

Zordon could feel the life leaving Burai. He looked at him and smiled. "Rest in peace, Master Burai..."

Burai laughed. "M... Master... Burai? Heh... I finally... became... a Morphing Master..."

And with that, Burai was gone. The Future: Omega Ranger, using his new Third Eye power, noted in his archive that Burai had gone and walked into the White Light almost immediately, going to whatever Afterlife there may be.

"Yes, Master Burai. You were one of the best." Zordon said. Slowly, the White Energy around him slowly began to be replaced completely with Red Energy. He slowly stood up, clenching his fist. He looked over to see Robo Knight dueling with Knasty Knight, his friend's murderer.

"Ancient source: Meledon force."

The Meledon Ranger got into a fighting stance. Although his muscles ached, he knew what he had to do. What he wanted. He was going to avenge Burai.

He tapped into the Nathadian Magic. Being far from Earth, he knew he could not tap into the Tribunal of Magic, so he would need to make this act count. He analyzed the knight and quickly found out how to defeat him.

"Robo Knight... stand back. Meledon conversion: reflective armor!"

He then rushed forward. As he did, Knasty Knight did as Meledon had predicted: he shot a blast out at him. The blast hit Meledon, bounced off him, and hit Knasty Knight.

"What!? Noooo!" The dark knight screamed, falling to his knees.

"That was for Burai." Meledon said as Knasty Knight fell to his face. He erupted in an explosion as he perished.

Meledon Ranger then limped over to Robo Knight.

"I am sorry for your loss." Robo Knight said. "He was a good man."

Meledon nodded. "The best. He deserved a better life. I will make sure to live my life from here on out in his honor. I won't waste the life I have. I am coming back to the fight, Robo Knight. And this time I won't rest until I defeat Dark Specter and his empire. Even if it destroys me, too. Nothing will stop me. I will win this war, even if it's the last thing I do."


	7. Part 0 - Chapter 4: Alliances

**Chapter Four: Alliances**

Mythical Master laughed as Diabolico did all he could to survive the onslaught of attacks from Michael, the king of the Ethereals. Looking off a ways, he could see Goresakubo having a difficult time surviving his battle with Castiel.

"Now this will simply not do." He said. He pointed an arm toward Goresakubo's battle. A beam of electricity flew from inside his cloak's sleeve where his hand was. It erupted around Castiel, sending him flying backwards. Just as Mythical Master had planned, Goresakubo took the opportunity to run to help Diabolico.

"Perfect. They really _are_ loyal to each other. Soon, they will be loyal to _me_ and me alone. This alliance with the Demons will be a most powerful one!" Mythical Master said, pleased with his discovery. He thought about how he had picked that universe carefully.

While he had been in his universe, he had looked out over the multiverse with his stolen technology. He saw one universe in particular, the one in which he then found himself, brimming with energy. It was connected to the energy he called the Transformation Field more so than many others he had seen. He remembered how he had looked and seen that the universe was younger than his own, so it would not only be universe jumping for him, but also time travel, in a way. He watched as the universe traveled through time itself, inching forward. He knew that entering the universe would alter it's history, and overwrite what was already in place to occur. He didn't care about meddling in the affairs of that universe so much as making sure he could avoid the Freelancers. He knew that as long as he stayed under the radar of the Watchers, he would be safe from any Freelance interference.

He remembered how once he had arrived, he had witnessed Michael and Beelzebub battling. He saw much power from Michael, but his people seemed stubborn and set in their ways. He observed Beelzebub and his rising nation, and saw potential in them. The potential for him to manipulate them into what he needed them to be. To defeat the beings he knew as the Power Rangers. He had been glad when he had arrived in this universe to see there were no Power Rangers, his hated rivals.

Back on the battlefield, Michael dodged an orb of Black Energy that Goresakubo shot at him.

"We must leave, Diabolico!" Goresakubo insisted.

"No! Not without Beelzebub!"

As Michael flew into the air, he channeled a beam of light into his sword. As it escaped, mixed with the sword's White Energy, hurtling down to the two Demons, it glowed with a blue and gold brilliance. As they braced themselves for impact, Beelzebub appeared on to the scene. His monstrous figure towered over his generals. He bellowed with a fury. He shot at Michael's beam with a beam of his own. The red and black beam impacted with the Ethereal beam, exploding. Michael covered his eyes. The collision was bright even for him.

As the debris settled, Castiel flew up to Michael. "They got away, my king."

Michael nodded. "Figures. We will find him... And I will have my brother back."

Castiel furrowed his brow. "But, my king... I re-read the Book of Prophecy before coming and it has changed a little. It says the Holy War now ends on a planet called Earth and there will be losses for all involved. It was never that specific before about the war's outcome."

Michael nodded. "I choose to believe that great loss is Beelzebub's. I believe he will lose his empire and with that shame, he will have great loss. I think the prophecy has changed due to my resolve to bring him back."

"Where do you get that interpretation?"

"My heart. I truly desire this. I only hope it is the future that will come to pass..."

As they continued speaking, Mythical Master cackled from afar. He found it funny that he was going to give Beelzebub all the power he needed to rise and become strong, effectively dashing Michael's dreams. He smiled under his cloak's hood. He knew he was the reason the book Castiel had mentioned had changed. He thought about how he surely altered the universe's course and set it on a new path. The narcissism in himself loved the thought that he changed an entire universe. He reveled in seeing his grand influence.

The Future: Omega Ranger paused as he indexed the scene. He could feel his Third Eye ability given to him by the Alpha Ranger sensing something. Concentrating on the scene, a few yards away from the Mythical Master, Omega was shocked to see a man in a bowler, suit, tie, and slacks standing. He had a small device in his hand. Focusing harder, Omega heard him speaking.

"The Jumper has acted upon the environment. A new timeline has been created. The old timeline has been overwritten. As of now, I see no evidence of bleed through."

"Tell me your recommendation, September." A voice said from the device.

"From my calculations, it seems as if only minor variations will occur in the new timeline for this universe. The universe should find equilibrium soon and things will continue as it should. My recommendation is for there to be no Freelancer involvement." September said, looking up at Mythical Master.

"Very well, then." The voice said.

September nodded. He turned around and walked into what seemed to be an invisible door. His mission was complete, and he had other temporal disturbances to check.

. . .

Lothor smiled as he looked at the completed room of the temple. The other fourteen members of the Morphing Masters stood in the room as well, marveling at the intricate designs and decorations. The podium in the center glowed ominously as they did.

Lothor ran his hands over the podium. It was what he had desired since his days back at his castle home. He remembered seeing the king, day in and day out meditating on his own podium. Lothor sneered as the image entered his mind. He despised the king, for sitting on such power and not using it as it should have been used: to initiate the process to godhood.

Lothor turned to the group. "Our alliance has created this. The city which will extend from here will be marvelous, but this here is the main portion if our work. Your endeavors have made this thing, which is the main piece of our plan. We will be the most powerful beings in the universe, and we will make it a safe place for all.

"We will all focus our inner power. Because we have been working together, in sync by making this temple, we have become a team with a similar goal, meaning we now have a Greater Power which we can use. This podium, though, has the power to refine that Greater Power. It will make it pure, untainted from our personal burdens that corrupt it. From the excess energies of the universe. The Greater Power of the Morphing Masters will be purified to become something even greater. It will be theGreatest Treasure in the Universe!

"Now everyone come with me upon the podium!" Lothor said, concluding his speech. He watched as one by one, the masters assembled on the podium. He looked at Regina and winked at her. She did the same. He then turned his back to the group and began chanting in a foreign language no one in the group, including Regina, understood. Standing next to her was Killian. He reached down and gripped her hand. She returned the gesture, smiling, but not looking at him.

Energy flowed from each person. It went into the podium itself. Lothor turned to them and smiled. "It is done. Our Greater Power is being refined. It will take some time. I will alert you all in a few days when it is done. You are all dismissed."

As the group dispersed, Auron found himself walking beside Tidus. He looked at him. His mannerisms reminded him of someone, but he couldn't figure out who.

Tidus noticed Auron staring and laughed. "Everything okay?"

Auron looked away and smiled. "Apparently. What did you think about what just happened in there?"

"Weird. I'm just excited to see the payoff for all of this, really. I feel like we've been working really hard with training and construction. I know some of these guys are getting antsy to say the least. Lothor better start churning out results or he's going to have a revolt on his hands."

"Agreed. Mentioning training, I haven't done any today. Are you willing to do some sparring with me?"

Tidus was taken aback. Auron was very reserved. The only person who spoke less than him was Xan, and he was creepy enough that Tidus believed it was probably best for everyone's sanity if he stayed silent indefinitely.

Looking at Auron and trying to play it cool, Tidus shrugged and smiled. "Eh, why not? I'm tired from training earlier, so I guess I'm down at your level of fighting."

Auron snickered. "You may regret your cockiness, kid. Let's head off to the practice field."

As they walked on, they passed Lokar as he was sitting on a tree stump, thinking.

 _So, the Greatest Treasure in the Universe, huh? Sounds like something I should be taking for myself..._ He thought, snickering to himself. He then looked up and saw Auron and Tidus sparring. Their power was incredible. He watched as Tidus caused asword to appear in his hand. It was blue and the blade seemed to be some otherworldly liquid to Lokar, or at least had liquid in it. Auron swung his own blade, blocking Tidus who had run up to attack him.

 _There are too many good fighters here, though. I can't do it alone..._

Looking over, Lokar saw Zen Aku sitting outside of his tent. He wore a look of frustration on his face. Seeing an opportunity, Lokar made his way to Zen Aku.

"What are you working on?"

"It's a mind re-router. I want to use it on non-sentient animals to train them and domesticate them." Zen Aku replied absentmindedly, without breaking his stare on his machinery.

"I know my way around a circuit board. May I help?"

Zen Aku rolled his eyes. "What do you have to offer?"

Lokar looked at the machine. "You got these two wires crossed for one."

"Oh, right..." Zen Aku said, exhaling as he did. He instantly stopped being resistant to Lokar's help when he realized he actually _was_ helping. "I've been up all night doing this and... you know... having a partner may not be the worse thing in the world."

Lokar smiled. "No, it wouldn't."

 _Got him where I want him. This could be the start of a great alliance! All of his gadgets will help me take the Greatest Treasure for myself!_

As Lokar and Zen Aku worked on the machine outside Zen Aku's tent, Octomus looked on, amused. He could tell what Lokar was doing. He thought of how others would be scrambling soon to make their own alliances.

"Look at those losers." Dai Shi said, walking up to Octomus.

"Why, hello, Dai Shi. What brings you here?" Octomus said, already aware of why Dai Shi would approach him.

"To stare into your lovely face. What do you think? I'm taking you up on your offer. Just... seeing all that power flow into that podium. I want it."

"Then we're partners." Octomus said simply.

"Just one thing: how will we be a partnership if we both want that power?"

Octomus nodded. "Good question. What do you want from the power?"

"The power to do anything I want. Be rich. Famous. Crush anyone who ticks me off or I think looks funny. How about you?"

"I see no conflict. I wish to control everything. Make everyone obey me. I hunger for raw power. Together, you can have your wealth, and I can have my power."

Dai Shi shrugged. "Works for me. I know I can't take everyone on by myself. Then it's settled."

Octomus looked down to see Dai Shi's outstretched hand. He took it and shook it.

"Okay, partner. Let's plan." Dai Shi said excitedly.  
While Dai Shi and Octomus began to discuss strategies, Trueheart made his way to App's tent. Upon seeing Trueheart, App stood up and bowed to him as a sign of respect

"Hello, Trueheart. How are you doing today?"

"I am fine. How are you, my friend?"

App smiled his warm smile. "Doing fantastically. Jakon and Jor are who I am primarily focused on as of late, and I couldn't be happier to see them improving. Jor is truly a natural."

"I have come, actually, to speak about them."

"Oh?"

"I, too, see potential in them. I fear, though, that some of the... negative... influences that are here in this camp may pervert them to the dark side."

App looked down and nodded. "I have indeed noticed this as a potential threat. I guess I have been lying to myself, pretending the threat wasn't there."

"Those brothers need all of the support we can give them. I wish to request the privilege of joining you in the training up of these boys. I figure if I'm involved as well, that's more influence of a good variety they can be offered."

"Trueheart? That is an absolutely fantastic idea. I love it! Come by my tent tomorrow morning after breakfast. We can plan how we will do tomorrow's training together."

Trueheart smiled and nodded. "It will be an honor. Until tomorrow morning, App." Trueheart shook App's hand and turned back toward his own tent. It was getting time for his daily meditation hour. After the draining experience he had gone through by giving some of himself to create their Greater Power, Trueheart felt as if he was ready for a good meditation session.

As Trueheart made his way down the path created in the dirt from the constant steps taken in the grass, he walked by the construction site for the Great City. Hard at work were Octoroo and Xan. Although not a member of the Morphing Masters, Octoroo had been asked by Lothor to take the graveyard shift with Xan to go over specs and to ensure all scientific portions of Lothor's stolen schematics were in place. That was one of the reasons Lothor had picked Octoroo: a scientific mind greater than his own had originally created the podium and it's temple walls, and he needed and good scientist in the ranks of The Top so he could ensure it was completed exactly as it was supposed to be.

Xan looked at Octoroo. "I saw what happened to you the other day. With your brother..."

Octoroo grunted. "He's just a big bully. They day will come when he will need to pay for what he did to me: fully!"

Xan snickered. "I'm sure that day will come, small one. But... if you are constantly allowing others to step on you, when will that day come?"

Octoroo fell silent. He looked to the schematics, hoping to ignore the question. Xan chuckled.

"The thing is, Octoroo, you need to be clever. Like me. I'm not very strong, but I know how to use people. I can read them, then use them for my own purposes."

 _Much like I'm doing with you right now..._ Xan thought to himself whimsically.

"Really?" Octoroo asked.

"Yes. I can teach you."

"Ooh-ah-ooh! Why would I be the one you choose?"

"I've been in your shoes before. That's how I learned to defend myself. I'm just helping a fellow loner."

 _While also having this temple's scientist in the palm of my hand. Soon, I will learn to decode this temple and absorb the Greatest Treasure into my very soul..._

"...I would appreciate that help..." Octoroo said.

"Then I believe this marks the start of a beautiful friendship." Xan said, smiling to himself as he continued his work on the outer wall of that sector.

Lije of the Dawn observed the temple's construction from a ways off. She knew the power would be hers soon. She just needed to figure out how to get past the booby traps that only Lothor knew how to traverse had been put in place. The day before, Lothor had explained to everyone that the power would be hot commodity amongst thieves, so he used what he had called his "Zocato power" to create powerful enchantments around the temple. Only those authorized to work in the temple during their allotted shifts would be impervious to the enchantments, and only as long as they stayed in the area Lothor had given them to be in.

Deciding it was time to set her chess game into motion, the small child made her way to the compound where Mesogog did his "business". As she approached he large building, she closed her eyes. Almost instantly, she was in the building, having teleported inside. She looked around to see several of the lizard like humanoids stop to stare at her in disbelief. Mounds and mounds of illegally obtained items were littered throughout the complex.

Mesogog and Dracul rushed forward when they saw her. Mesogog stepped forward and crossed his arms across his massive chest.

"What are you doing here, little girl?" He asked, not seeing who it was. Lije snickered to herself and stepped out of the shadows.

"Lije of the Dawn!" Dracul said, shocked.

Everyone in the compound, including Mesogog, dropped to a knee and bowed down to her.

"Get up." Lije said to Mesogog. He immediately did as she asked.

"What do you want? Please. Anything!" Mesogog asked. He knew what this little girl was capable of. For years she had been used as a weapon against other planets by the people of the Dawn. He feared his small operation had somehow been targeted by her people and she had been sent to be the angel of destruction, a harbinger of conquest.

"Your help. I plan on taking all of Lothor's... wealth. I will need a distraction for when the time will come that I will attack. That is why I need your people. I will reward you handsomely for your help." Lije said, looking around the compound as she spoke.

"What sort of reward?" Dracul asked impulsively.

Lije turned around. The star tattoo on her forehead glowed brightly. From out of it, a blast shot out and hit Dracul, knocking him out.

"How about your lives, for starters?" Lije asked, looking to Mesogog.

"Deal! Deal!" Mesogog said, falling to a knee.

"Good. I will alert you when I need you. Until then, I will stay here more often, training your crew to be what I will need them to be."

Mesogog groaned within himself. He was powerless. "As you wish."

"You may all return to your duties. Dismissed." Lije said. She turned around and began inspecting things as the workers awkwardly returned to their duties.

 _I have to find a way out of this..._ Mesogog thought to himself. He didn't know how, but he knew he would find a way.

Outside the complex, a mere half mile away, Regina and Killian walked about in secrecy. They were holding hands.

"We have to strike soon, Regina. I can't stand him touching you!" Killian said angrily.

"We can't. Not yet. We need him still. He understands how all of those artifacts he has interacts with each other. Each of them are important to ensure everything comes to pass as it should. The Crystal of Doom, Sword of Darkness, Savage Sword, God Eye... Once I learn how it all works we can destroy him. Until then, we're stuck."

Killian shook his head and stopped walking. "I've sacrificed everything for you Regina. Please don't let all of this be in vain. I don't know if I can live with myself if I don't end up with you after all I've done..."

Regina smiled and placed a hand to his face. She kissed him. "We'll be together. I promise. It will be worth it."

"How cute..." Prue said, appearing suddenly with her sisters.

"Who are you!?" Killian demanded.

Regina could feel the familiar Magic. She knew. "Witches... like me... I didn't think this place _had_ Witches."

Prue's eyes darkened. "...Yes... a fellow Witch... What are you doing here with Lothor?"

"None of your business. Now leave." Regina said. She was afraid. She knew what Witches were capable of, and she didn't know if she could take on three at once.

"This is our galaxy. Our planet. You don't tell us what to do." Phoebe said.

Piper laughed. "I guess you two will be the first from Lothor's party to fall to us..."

Prue smiled. "This should be easier than that man with the Red Magic. Let's have fun, shall we?"

Killian's head was spinning in a combination of Fear and awe.

 _Red Magic...?_ _Rumple_ _!? Could it be...? And if Rumple is here, did_ _Emma_ _survive, too?_ Killian thought. Before he could wonder about the possibilities, he felt Regina begin to charge up with her Witch Magic. He took a step back. He knew things were about to get ugly.


	8. Part 3 - Chapter 4: The Legend of Ninjor

**Chapter Four: The Legend of Ninjor**

Zordon stared as the last remnant of his good friend, Burai, was loaded onto one of the last War Star ships left from the Old Alliance: his mighty Dragonzord. He sat and watched from atop a boulder as Gosei and Robo Knight directed the workers on how to line the war machine into the ship. As he watched, his mind continually brought him back to one thought: his selfishness.

 _Because I took a backseat, Burai was destroyed. If I had been in shape, I could have easily handled the Bio Mech Rangers. I then would have gotten here in time before it was too late._ Zordon thought. He sneered as he caught a reflection of himself from the water of the lake which the boulder he was upon was beside. He carefully lowered himself to the ground before forcing his body to the cargo ships.

Upon seeing Zordon, the workers stood at attention. Zordon nodded and pointed to the lead worker. "You. Excuse me, but I need to get to Earth immediately."

The soldier nodded and began running to find someone to comply with Zordon's request. Zordon looked up to the sky and furrowed his brow. He knew he needed to return to Earth and join the fight again. He knew the Order of the Claw was in trouble, along with the new Ranger team who had saved him. He wasn't going to stand by again. He wasn't going to let what happened to Burai happen to anyone else he loved without a fight.

. . .

Castiel finished his short tutorial on the power of the cards. He looked at the five rangers before him and asked them if they had any questions.

Joe raised a hand and said smugly, "Here's my question: Who are you, again?"

Marvelous nodded. "Why should we listen to you?"

"No offense, but you look like a defenseless puppy. It's hard to take you seriously." Luka said apologetically.

Doc straightened his jacket and looked up to Castiel. "Are you related to the Reapers?"

Miha smiled and walked forward. It had been quite a while since she had acted as a diplomat for Rashon as royalty, but her old habits hadn't been completely buried. To add to her newfound confidence, she had spent the good part of the last two millennia searching for ways to free her comrades. In a way, she had been hardened. Given more confidence. She had become more assertive. "My apologies. We are all very curious. That is why we have forgotten our manners."

As she said this, both Marvelous' and Joe's jaws dropped. They weren't used to having someone other than them take the lead after they had joined forces with Villamax centuries prior. To say the least, they were taken aback.

Miha continued. "We are very grateful for your help. I'm sure that we would not have been successful without you. We have been burned by those in the past, mind you, professing to be an ally, but they ended up betraying us. Please understand our caution."

Castiel nodded. "The Reapers are a subset of my people: the Ethereals. We are a peaceful race from the planet Eden. Reapers are Ethereals who have studied for years and have specialized their powers to ensure two things: that people go into the White Light, and that Demons aren't formed by those who refuse to cross over. They are researchers of the unknown.

"I am the king of the Ethereals. My name is Castiel. My people were involved in a war with the Demons millions of years ago. We felt as if we were harming the universe with our war, and when the numbers of Demons were to a point where it seemed as if they could be handled by the universe's populace without my people, we went into seclusion. Recently, we have noticed the number of Demons have passed a threshold our statisticians claimed would be too much for the universe to handle. So, I have given the order for my people to return to the fight.

"I wouldn't be honest if I didn't admit the presence of the lost Power Cards did not play a role in my final decision. Prophecies have stated that the time would come when the cards would be given to powerful warriors, and that would be a precursor to a great war. I have long believed it to be the culmination of the Holy War, the war we Ethereals abandoned years ago. I'm here now to ensure it ends.

Marvelous smiled. "Well, you came to the right group of superheroes. We specialize in taking care of bullies."

Castiel nodded. "You will need to be up to this task. I wish I could join you, but I cannot. I have another mission. I need to find where the most powerful living Ethereal has been locked away. He will be of great help to us."

Doc raised his hand. As Castiel pointed at him, Doc said, "What are we to do until then?"

"Pave the way for Michael, the Great Ethereal. Fight the Demons with your Power Cards. They will be your greatest asset against their Black Energy. Once he returns, we will be in the final stretch."

Luka nodded. "Let's return to the Sorcerer of the Sands, then. He seems to know what to do and when to strike."

"Right." Miha said, agreeing. "And we will see you...?"

"After I find Michael."

"Farewell, then." Miha said, causing her wings to sprout from her back. She then took to the skies as the others followed suit.

As Doc was preparing to go, Castiel stopped him. "You seem to have a good head on your shoulders. Please... take this. Don't tell the others."

Doc nodded as Castiel place a silver card in his hand.

"Only use it when it is absolutely necessary. Special weapons lose their effectiveness if they are used at times when solid teamwork would have sufficed. Do you understand?"

Doc smiled. "Absolutely. Thank you, Castiel." He then flew off.

Castiel frowned to himself. "Oh, dear. I only hope I can actually find Michael. If I can't, then... May the Power protect you, Power Rangers."

. . .

Rita and Finster stood over the Dragon Coin in Finster's laboratory. Finster shuffled through pages of his mythology books, trying to find something.

"Make sure Lord Zedd doesn't hear about this, dogface." Rita ordered, whispering. She looked around. She knew she would be okay from Goldar's prying ears, since she had sent him down to Earth to help Scorpina attack the Ancient City. She knew not why Scorpina was attacking it, agitating the Order of the Claw. She had too many things on her mind to worry about that.

"Of course, my empress." Finster said sincerely. Although he had a special place in his heart for Zedd, after helping him with the serum after all of these years, and the fond memories he had with Zedd when he first discovered him, broken and near dead centuries ago, he felt a strong bond grow with Rita over the years. He genuinely found her behavior funny and enjoyed her presence.

"Ah! I think I found something!" The dog sang, dropping the book in front of Rita.

She hit him over the head with her staff. "Watch it, stupid. You almost dropped it on the coin!"

"My apologies. I will be careful next time!"

"You better..." She mumbled as she looked at the page. "Ninjor? What's a Ninjor?"

"Not what, but _who_. Legends say he was a mighty ninja who attempted to create warriors, tapped into the Morphing Grid with access keys called Power Coins." Finster said, turning the page to show five coins. They had animal designs on them.

"These are the coins?" Rita asked, intrigued.

"Yes. Yes they are. They are of old animals from Earth." He then pointed to the drawings of each coin. "The mastodon; the pterodactyl; the triceratops; the sabertooth tiger; the tyrannosaurus."

"You say they would tap the Grid?"

"Yes, my queen. The legend states he was trying to create a group he called Hunters. Their main goal would be to hunt Monsters, Demons, and the like. To protect the universe."

"Power Rangers! These are the prototypes for Power Rangers!"

"That is the assumption I have come to myself, my queen."

"Excellent..." Rita said. She, herself, had been on the threshold of becoming a Morphing Master during the initiation of Project White Genesis. She knew she could activate the Power Coin and become the ranger the coin had as a template inside itself.

Nothing happened. "Wait... There's no Dragon Coin in that legend! And why it this coin a footprint? Why not a head of a dragon or something!? It has to be a fake!"

"Then how was Burai morphing with it?"

Rita stopped. The word "hope" started floating again through her mind. Red Energy slowly seeped out from her staff as that happened, calming the sensation the Green Energy was having with her Blue Energy she had inherited from Dulcea's Nathadian Magic. She shook it off and said, "There must be something else, then..."

"I will figure it out, my queen. Oh, wait. The last sentence says something!"

Rita hit him in the head again with her staff. "You didn't read the whole thing!? Next time, read the whole thing before you try to explain stuff."

"Of course, empress. Now... it says here one must have 'attitude' to access the coin's power. Other than that, I'm lost."

"Attitude!? I have attitude! Why isn't it working then!?"

"That is what I intend on finding out."

Rita sneered and pushed him out of the way. She turned the book back a few pages and found what she was looking for. She smiled while reading and said to Finster, not taking her eyes of the page, "Yes, go ahead and research. But don't worry. I may end up getting the answers first."

She laughed as she tore a page out of the book. "In my hands, old boy, is a map. It is a map to a place called the Temple of Power. According to this book, it is where Ninjor lives. Well, guess what, Ninjor... You're going to have guests soon! Ah-hahaha!"

. . .

Goldar laughed as he slashed and destroyed a knight that had been charging toward him. He looked to Scorpina, who was easily handling two other guards.

Necrolai landed and laughed. "Just as you predicted, Goldar. They have sent the massive forces upfront to attack us here while the Order of the Claw awaits at the gates of the Ancient City. I have sent Camille there now to... soften them up for us."

"Rrr... Excellent! Haha!" Goldar said, reveling in the battle around him. "Excellent!"

A few miles ahead, Masters Mao, Rilla, Guin, and Lope stared as the former Master, Camille, calmly walked up to them.

"How did you get here!?" Mao demanded.

Camille chuckled. "Spirit of the Chameleon, remember?"

"Dai Shi will not win, Camille." Guin said, disgust on her face.

"Yes he will. Now... There are some very important things in there I need. Step aside."

Mao frowned. "You will not get inside here. These items are too dangerous. Step away, or be destroyed."

Camille laughed. "Don't be so mean. I thought masters treated each other with respect..."

Lope got into a fighting stance. "You're no master. Not anymore."

Camille got into her fighting stance. "A shame it must be this way..."

Dai Shi laughed as he watched Camille being to fight on his reflective pool. He turned to Master Octomus and addressed him. "Camille is at the gates. Necrolai, Scorpina, and Rita's monkey are making their way to her as well. Soon, we will have our artifacts back."

"Yes... And then the Greatest Treasure will be one step closer to being ours. What about the Overlords?"

"It took much coercion, but Grizzaka and the other Overlords were convinced: they say they can make it all happen now. They will use their intel to tell us where and when to strike, while Scorpina will sneak in and destroy Zordon and the others in the base with the access codes they will provide us."

"Most excellent. That Zordon has proven himself to be a master strategist over the past two thousand years. It will be a breath of fresh air to not need to deal with him anymore."

Dai Shi nodded his main head. "Indeed."

"What do you plan on doing with the Overlords after this? After we obtain our goal?"

Dai Shi laughed. "The same thing I've planned all along: rip them apart."

. . .

"Are you sure I'm ready!?" Grizzaka demanded. He was in the Underground Temple.

The Ghost of Darkness laughed. "Of course. I've had to deal with Dai Shi's incessant whining for the last two thousand years. He has been constantly asking you for the go ahead to attack. You don't think I could've tolerated saying 'no' one more time? Grizzaka... You are ready."

Grizzaka laughed. "Then I go to help Dai Shi rid this world of the pests upon it. Then, after I destroy him, this planet will be mine!"

"Go, and rid the universe of the last Nathadian remnant! Then, I can rest in peace..." The Ghost said with pseudo-solemnity. Grizzaka laughed and teleported away using his Earth power.

The Ghost chuckled. He put up a filter around his temple, on the off chance Grizzaka attempted to peek in on him from afar. "Okay, then. Well... Time marches on. Two thousand years was a long wait, but the time has come. Every training session with Grizzaka has led to this. After years of you bathing in my precious cells, with my special Zocato serum, absorbing the excess Zocato power emanating from Grizzaka, you are ready. Arise, Yoral!"

From the place where the Ghost of Darkness kept his specimens in "storage", Yoral appeared. For the first time in centuries, he opened his eyes. They glowed with an eerie green brilliance. He laughed.

"Where is Zordon!?" Yoral screamed.

The Ghost laughed. "I will tell you, my child. He is off planet, but soon he will be here. Now. Go. Rid the Earth of that Nathadian fool."

Yoral sneered. "As good as done. I can feel the power emanating through me. I am finally a master Wizard!"

And with that, Yoral disappeared onto the surface in a cloud of Zocato power. Red Energy enveloped the Ghost of Darkness.

 _Yes, you fool! You are a Wizard. But at what cost!? The_ _God Eye_ _was mine! But, alas... I have no one to blame but myself. I should have seen he wasn't yet completely under my control when I told him to make my wish come true..._

The Ghost of Darkness thought back on the day when Yoral had come back, having found the God Eye. He remembered how he had gotten overzealous, and told Yoral to use it to wish for the Greatest Treasure in the Universe. Before he could explain to Yoral what he meant, Yoral had interpreted it as meaning what _he_ thought was the greatest treasure. He had wished to become a mighty Wizard, strong enough to defeat Zordon and his Nathadian Magic. He said he wanted to complete his training under the Ghost of Darkness on the best way possible. Right at that, Yoral had been transported into a giant vat. The Ghost had recognized it immediately: it was the vat he had once used eons ago for his experiments.

The Ghost, having realized what had happened, recalibrated. He put the vat into storage. He awaited until the time would come when Yoral would be ready. If he wasn't going to be able to spread his precious cells with the God Eye, he was going to be able to do with sheer power. And Yoral, now a Wizard, would be his ticket to getting it done.

On the surface, above the temple, a temporal disturbance was seen by the Third Eye of Future: Omega Ranger. Looking at it, a man in a suit stood over the hole in the ground leading to the Ghost of Darkness' Underground Temple. He pulled out a small device and spoke into it.

"December reporting in. I have found an anomaly. I cannot enter into a certain area of this planet in this timeline. Possible rogue activity. I will conduct research. It is of the being known as the Ghost of Darkness... initial scans show an unknown origin. Red flagged. Case reported. Anomaly filed. Investigation underway."

. . .

Lionel roared. "My father is already on the way with his own group. We will leave now! This is the biggest attack we have seen in quite some time, so be prepared. Dai Shi is ready for us... Are you ready for him!?"

The crowd of Animal Realm fighters roared in response. Saba sat at the front, presiding over the meeting. He watched as Lionel roared back, happy to see the animals were energized, even when facing such insurmountable odds. In the back of the crowd, though, Lionel's twin brother, Leon, and his pack of friends sat in the back. Leon rolled his eyes.

Lobo laughed. "Dude, you seriously need to stop being so jealous."

"What!? I'm not jealous!" Leon protested.

Ingat walked over to him and winked. "Then why's your face red? Blushing?"

"Oh, ha. _Ha_. That's my fur." He said, batting her away with a paw playfully.

Faor walked over to them as the Animal Fighters began to file out. He sighed. "Guys... Come on! I can't keep covering for you guys. I'm your friend, but I'm also your general. If anyone sees you guys lounging around during Commander Lionel's rally cry... I can't protect you then."

Leon grunted. "Fine. When do we go?"

Ave popped in from up above in the sky, overhearing the question. "Seriously, guys? You too, Ingat? Galcon? Nago? We're leaving NOW!"

The five jumped up. Leon spat. "Were going to be at the back again? Man! I'm never gonna show what I can do... AGAIN."

Faor looked to Ave and winked. "Actually... I did notice your bro has been leaving you in the back. Now, I know it's because he's worried about you and doesn't wanna see you getting hurt-"

"Pfft. Yeah, right. He's just trying to stop me from being promoted."

"- _So_... Ave and I came up with something."

Ave then whistled. The signal heard, Ryl came barreling in, flying with tremendous speed for his size.

Nago jumped up. "Totally wicked! Ryl's back from his mission off planet!"

"And I'm gonna take you guys into the action in style. No one will be able to ignore you guys like this. I've heard what's been going on with you guys not seeing any fighting. For some, that's great, but I've known you guys my whole life." Ryl said. "You want to prove yourselves, and I think you deserve it."

Faor laughed. "Don't ever say I never did anything for you."

Leon tried to choke back the tears of joy. "You guys are the best. Seriously. Thanks. Heh... the eight of us, together again. I hope we never get separated again, you hear? It's the eight of is until the end!"

Ave laughed. "We'll always have your back, bro."

Galcon flew up and gave Ave a five. "And we'll have yours!"

Ryl smiled. "Now hurry and get on. We gotta protect people from the evil Dai Shi clan."

. . .

Beast Watch Red grabbed Bio Mech Red by the back of the neck. He lifted him up into the air one handed. He then slammed his helmet into the mountainside and began running, dragging the helmet against the rocky surface. He then chucked Bio Mech Red to the ground and got into a fighting stance. He was shocked to see Bio Mech Red stand up, seemingly unphased.

"What!? They're like machines!" Beast Red exclaimed.

Beast Green landed in front of him, coughing. "Amen to that. Sheesh!"

"Beast Watch: Assemble!" Beast Red commanded. His team immediately left their battles and ran to him. "They are trying to divide and conquer. We are strongest together, especially against a threat like this."

"Sorry, Commander." Beast Black said.

"We'll pay better attention next time, sir!" Beast Blue agreed.

The Bio Mech Rangers began approaching the Beast Watch. Bio Blue laughed. "You can't beat us."

Bio Yellow was the next to speak. "You can't stand toe to toe with us."

"You aren't even in the same league as us." Bio Pink added.

"You may well need to return to wherever you came from." The Green Bio Mech Ranger advised.

"Prepare to meet your end. No one will stop us from getting our mission complete. Attack!" Bio Mech Red ordered, fury in his voice.

"I think they are mad..." Beast Yellow said.

"Stay calm, new guy." Beast Blue counseled. "Stand your ground."

"Now!" Beast Red commanded. The five rangers channeled their Morphing Energy together. They understood the cryptic words their leader had told them, without giving the tactic away to their enemies: to assemble and get ready to sync their energies to power blast the Bio Mech team.

The evil rangers were surprised to find themselves soaring through the air. They landed in a heap. They slowly stood up, staring at the Beast Watch.

Bio Mech Blue thought for a moment, processing. "Our energy levels are down. We won't survive a second attack."

"You're lucky this time, Beast Watch. We'll be better prepared next time." Bio Mech Red informed his foes as he and his team teleported away.

The Red Ranger turned to his team. "Good job, guys. The endangered animals on this planet are safe once again."

"I think they will come back... We should stick around." Beast Black said.

"I agree. Let's head back to our ship and we can plan from there."

. . .

Trinity approached Gosei. He was on a cliff, looking out to the ocean. He could see the Dragonzord being lowered out of the old War Star ship.

"Zordon isn't here?"

Gosei shook his head. "Burai's demise really shook him up."

"I can only imagine. I remember how he was when Tria fell down that chasm... I still think that's what got him out of the fight to begin with."

"Well, I think this is what will get him back _in_ the fight, coincidentally. This morning he was out, morphed, practicing."

Trinity sighed. "I feel so badly for him... And, you know... it's weird thinking we're not going to have Burai around anymore."

Gosei nodded. "I've known him for a very long time. He taught me a lot. I will miss him."

"Why are you putting the Dragonzord away, anyhow? Why not use it?"

Gosei shook his head. "It is connected to the Dragon Dagger. I hope if we hide it here, Rita won't know where it is. She wouldn't think we'd hide it right here under her nose. Then, she can't use it."

"Well... it's a shame. Another Zord we can't use." Trinity said, looking out as Dragonzord continued to dip into the ocean.

 _It's not the only thing we'll be hiding on Earth..._ Gosei thought. _This time tomorrow,_ _Notrom_ _will be here to help us secure the Greatest Treasure, as well. There is so much going on here that_ _Bansheera_ _will never think to come here looking for it... I hope..._

He sighed as the last bit of Dragonzord disappeared.


	9. Part 0 - Chapter 5: Power of a Universe

**Chapter Five: Power of a Universe**

Beelzebub, Diabolico, and Goresakubo landed on the planet. Beelzebub turned to his fellow Demons.

"What are we doing here?" Diabolico asked.

"We are awaiting my associate on this side of the universe. He tells me he has found something. Something... powerful..." Beelzebub replied.

"That is true... I have found something for you, my leader." Azazel said.

Beelzebub laughed. He hadn't seen Azazel for quite some time. After he and Lilith had gone on their crusade against the Ethereals, Beelzebub remembered how he had sent Azazel off to monitor things for him in a different part of the universe. To make sure things were ready for his arrival.

"What is it you have found?" Beelzebub inquired.

"A group of powerful warriors. They are here on this planet and they have powerful artifacts. They call themselves the 'Morphing Masters'. I tried to steal the artifacts, but there are powerful enchantments protecting it."

"Even in your Spirit form?"

"Even then."

Diabolico grunted. He knew that one day the time would come where he would need to prove himself to Beelzebub. To prove he deserved to be his number one general, and not Azazel.

"We storm them, then." Diabolico said. "They can't take all of us on together."

Azazel laughed. "I've been watching them. There are eighteen of them, and every last one of them is extremely powerful. If they use the artifacts they carry, we would be destroyed before we could take a step onto their camp."

Beelzebub nodded. "I have a plan..."

. . .

The Morphing Masters looked at each other. They were either looking at each other to size one other up for future battles, or with concern and worry, unsure if they were going to need to watch their backs. Many feared they would be betrayed by another at the drop of a hat.

Lothor entered the room. Bansheera followed closely behind. He turned to his followers and smiled. "The Greatest Treasure in the Universe is slowly approaching completion. It is glorious to see it happen. I thank you all for your commitment, and so do the citizens of the universe.

"Now, I believe we can create another powerful item. It would contain a universe of energy, with the ability to change reality. It would be a great weapon in our hands as the protectors of the universe. I call it a 'Power Egg'. It would allow us to not change history, like the Greatest Treasure can, but to change our present situation and help us in the here and now. I just wanted to inform you of this possibility, to keep your minds on it, if and when the time comes to create such a thing.

"That is all for new announcements. If you would, after this meeting, go to my tent and look at the list I have posted. It will have your shift schedule for the next two weeks. Remember, if you need to request time off, submit a vacation request form to Regina and we will discuss it. Shift change forms are also available. That is all."

As the Morphing Masters filed out, Tidus frowned. _Artifacts that can change reality? Change history? We are supposed to protect the universe... I can't see the benefit in something like that. It seems like too much power for anyone to have. Maybe_ _Auron_ _was right about_ _Lothor_ _. Something about all of this_ _does_ _seem a bit off. I dunno..._

Tidus walked off a ways, away from the camp. He sighed as he found a tree and sat next to it. He felt bad thinking negatively about the Morphing Masters. They seemed to represent so much good. He didn't want to believe it was corrupt. He kept pushing the thought out of his mind.

He had never had a family. He was raised by a group of homeless children on the planet Ralma, but they were always in it for themselves. When Lothor had come to his planet, promising what sounded to Tidus as a real family unit, he couldn't resist. He remembered how ecstatic he was when he learned he had been picked. Thinking it was all a con was not possible for him. He wouldn't lose out on his chance to not only do good for the universe, but also have a family.

. . .

On the outskirts of the camp, Goresakubo fired a blast of Black Energy at a tree, lighting it on fire. Black flames danced off of it. He knew that would get the camp's attention. He laughed as he became a cloud of Demon Smoke and flew off.

As Xan, Lokar, and Zen Aku appeared at the fire, Diabolico did a similar act on the opposite side of the camp. Octomus, Dai Shi, and Killian ran after that fire, but also arrived too late. At that point, Beelzebub's main distraction would take place.

App and Trueheart watched as Jakon and Jor sparred. They had been progressing well in their training. As they watched, a cloud appeared over their heads.

"Huh? I didn't see any clouds earlier..." App thought aloud.

Trueheart furrowed his brow. "That's no cloud... Boys! Come here IMMEDIATELY! We have company..."

As Jakon and Jor made their way to their mentors, confused, a spiraling tower of smoke descended before them. From the purple haze the Demon, Azazel, walked out.

"I am the Demon Lord, Azazel. Prepare to meet your doom..."

App and Trueheart stepped forward. App frowned. "I don't know who you are, but unless you back away now, you will leave me no choice but to force you to leave."

Azazel laughed a slow laugh. "Feel my power." He swung his three eyed scythe, sending his mighty Demon power at the team. As the vertical crescent shot toward the four, a voice could be heard shouting from behind them.

"Barrier!" Auron yelled. A Magical wall appeared, causing the power to dissipate.

"Holy!" Tidus shouted. A white light emanated from him, striking Azazel hard.

"Ah!" Azazel screamed. He could feel the White Energy burning his skin. Before the six had a chance to hit him harder, he was forced to abandon his mission to stall for Beelzebub. He became a Demon Cloud once more and flew up into the sky.

"Thanks." App said. He looked to see his companions a bit out of sorts.

"We heard some attacks happening around the camp. We decided to run here as quickly as possible. I'm glad we did." Auron said.

"How did you know to use the Holy spell?" Jakon asked Tidus.

Tidus shrugged. "It felt right. I felt, I dunno, inspired to use that spell. I guess it worked."

Trueheart's eyes widened. He felt something in his mind. He couldn't think of anything to call the feeling except as some sort of "disturbance". He looked to his comrades and said, "The temple. This may be an attack on the temple!"

They all nodded and began to run as fast as they could. It only made sense that once word got out of the Morphing Master's location, the filth of the universe would begin to appear to take the power for themselves. They could only hope they weren't too late.

. . .

Beelzebub used his superior Alpha Demon senses to see each of the camp's enchantments. He easily dodged them all. He could feel a power source emanating from one of the tents. He looked over and saw a small group huddled near the temple, speaking about something. He laughed to himself and entered the tent. He materialized into a smaller version of his Demon form and, using one of his massive claws, ripped off the top of a small chest in the tent. He picked up the first thing he saw. It glowed brilliantly in his hands.

"Drop the Crystal of Doom now!" Lothor yelled, running into the tent. App and his crew, along with Regina, Ivicar, Zurgane, and Octoroo, followed behind him. They had been tipped off by Trueheart about the attack and when they hadn't seen anything,Lothor decided to check his "special chest".

"Nice name for it... Fitting for me." Beelzebub looked at the chest. He could feel the power emanating from the opposing group. He felt two sources of power coming from those in the group he had never felt before. He knew if he reached for the chest, he may not get a chance to escape. "I'll see you around then..."

"Zocato power!" Lothor yelled, attempting to hit Beelzebub. Beelzebub became a red Demon Cloud before he could be hit, however, and escaped with the Crystal of Doom.

Lothor's eyes grew wild. He began shrieking in a high pitch. He picked up a table and tossed it to the side. "Nooo! Noooo!" He kicked over his bed and jumped onto the fallen mattress, pounding it with his fists.

Regina hurriedly rushed everyone out of the tent. Although she knew she needed to help cover for LLothor at this time, she couldn't help but feel agitated. She had just got through battling for her life, and she wished to have some time to herself. She composed herself and, pretending as if she was fine, said, "Obviously he is distraught. Please give Master Lothor some time to... uh... gather himself. We will all meet soon for a debriefing."

As Auron and the others spoke while Regina and The Top returned to Lothor, Tidus looked at the temple. _Crystal of Doom_ _? That's the last straw. What kind of universe protector has a Crystal of Doom?_

Tidus went to the group and addressed his concern. They stopped momentarily, thinking about his worry.

"Well, it's possible he had it, confiscated, you know, from a villain he had defeated before." Jakon offered.

Trueheart nodded. "This is the assumption we have to live with for now. We can't jump to conclusions and think negatively about someone. It could lead us to a bad spot if he is innocent."

Auron looked at them. "Although I don't trust Lothor, your words carry wisdom, Trueheart. I say, for now, we just wait. Are we all in accord?"

The group of Morphing Masters all nodded and agreed. They stood outside Lothor's tent. As they did, they spoke about their thoughts on the attack, and who they thought these Demons were and what they may be planning.

. . .

Unaware of what had occurred in her campsite, Lije of the Dawn laughed. Her brainwaves emanated from her, hitting one of the workers in Mesogog's complex. Her enjoyment grew more and more with each shudder of pain the lizard man showed. She giggled loudly as he began wailing in pain.

From up in his office, Mesogog frowned as he watched the scene from his window. He turned around, looking at the hulking figure of Dracul looming over his desk.

"We _have_ to do something about her. She's torturing our workers for her enjoyment! This is ridiculous!"

Dracul frowned. "What _can_ we do? You've heard what she has done other planets. If she can wipe out civilizations, what do you think she'll do to _us_?"

Mesogog shook his head. "I don't know, Dracul. What I do know is this: if we don't find a way to rid ourselves of her soon, she'll be the end of us all."

. . .

David watched from the edge of the hill he and his fellow survivors had camped on. He shook his head as he saw smoke ascend from the camp of the Morphing Masters. He turned back to those in the camp and frowned

"There is definitely something happening over in that camp. I don't know what it is... but it can't be good."

Rumple nodded. "I felt a surge of Zocato power recently. Lothor is probably very angry to have been able to use as much as he did."

Anastasia looked to David. "So, what does this mean?"

"If there is some sort of conflict going on over there, I suggest we stay away. I don't want to risk any of us falling while getting entangled in any problems that don't concern us."

Mary nodded. "I agree. We've lost too much up to this point and I don't want us to lose anyone else."

"I agree." Will said.

"I do, too." Belle added.

As each of the group gave their consent to wait, Baelfire turned to Emma. "Are you okay waiting?"

Emma nodded. "I know I've been hot headed up to this point. I just need some time to myself... To process everything. Henry. Home. Lothor. Everything. Thank you for being there for me."

Baelfire smiled. "Of course. I'll always be here for you."

"I know. And I know we will get through this. Together."

As she said this, David went and hesistantly asked her if she agreed. He was pleasantly surprised that his daughter _did_ agree. He knew she was very agitated by the situation and had wondered if she was going to want to charge ahead.

After getting Baelfire's response, David turned to his band and said, "It's unanimous, then. We stay put for now. I'll set up some training drills to get us ready to fight. If Rumple doesn't mind, I'll ask him to teach us some basic Magic to help us, as well."

"Of course." Rumple said, smiling as he held Belle's hand.

"Well, then. Here we go. Time won't stop for us. We may be delaying our final confrontation with Lothor, but the time _will_ come when we will need to fight him. And when we do, we'll be ready."

. . .

On the planet Eden, Michael stared off to nowhere a Castiel walked into his room. "You called from me, your heinous?"

Michael nodded. "I felt something... horrible. It's Beelzebub. He has gained more power. _Stronger_ power than I have ever felt. I don't know what kind of power it is, but it frightens me."

"What are your thoughts, then?" Castiel asked.

"We need to find him. Now."

"I'll get the army assembled, then."

Michael shook his head. "No. Just you and me. The more of us there are, the more likely he will feel us coming. Just the two of us."

Castiel pursed his lips. "Okay, then. Give me the word and I'll be there with you."

Michael slowly stood up. He grabbed the hood of his ornate garments and placed it over his head. He focused, summoning his battle armor and sword. He looked Castiel in the eyes and said simply, "We go now."

. . .

Lothor sat in the middle of the floor, cross legged. His hair was more disheveled than usual. He frowned as he thought about what he had lost.

 _I must plan now. I will assemble the Morphing Masters together. Then, we will work together, track down that smoke monster, and take back the_ _Crystal of Doom_ _. I have a business to run and I can't have my assets out and about!_

As Lothor sat, planning, invisible to him, September watched. His calculations were showing a large divergence from the path that this universe was supposed to go. This timeline, he knew, was supposed to have in two days' time David and his crew fight against Lothor and the Morphing Masters. All but Tidus, Jor, Jakon, and Trueheart were to be destroyed in the battle, leaving them to create a powerful colony on Earth to rule the universe. According to September's calculations, that future had been deviated from very much. He foresaw the universe attempting to attain equilibrium with that destiny, with the probability of a fisherman choosing to alter the course of time through the Power Eggs being high. That course of action, however, would start a chain reaction of events that were too complicated even for Watcher Technology to predict. Too many timelines interacting with more and more unpredictable people, choosing for themselves. His machinery gave him less than a one percent probability for any given event. When he saw this, he did something that felt foreign to him, but all the while felt right: he smiled. He knew his plan had worked.

September reached for his small device and spoke into it. "This is September. This universe has reached equilibrium." He lied. "The Jumper Mythical Master is now acting in accordance to this timeline's destiny."

He turned off his device. Another new feeling washed over him: fear. He felt fear he would be caught, knowing that Mythical Master was not a time traveller, but a dimension hopper. He knew Mythical Master was from a universe that was simply more advanced and older than this one. That Mythical Master hadn't erased a timeline at all, but had only interfered with the destiny of this timeline. But, the lie needed to persist for his plan.

The only thing he knew that could stop his plan would be his fellow Watchers. He hoped no one would double check his reports before his plan could pass the point where it could not be unraveled. As long as they didn't stop the Demons from creating the new artifact, then this timeline would be free to choose their own fate. Free from the Watchers. They would be truly free. And then, he knew the ripple effect would eventually reach all of the universes due to the laws of Universal Equilibrium. Free will would reign.


	10. Part 3 - Chapter 5: Wizard Rising

**Chapter Five: Wizard Rising**

Master Octomus looked to Dai Shi. He presented the special Rin Shi to him with pride in his power. Dai Shi looked upon them, fascinated.

"What are they?" Dai Shi asked curiously.

"I call them the Five Fingers of Poison. They are Rin Shi I have been able to create that are able to fuse with Animal Spirits who have a link to deadly poisons found on this planet. They are Rantipede, with the Spirit of the centipede; Gakko, who uses the Spirit of the gecko; Naja, whose Animal Spirit is the cobra; Toady, with the Toad Spirit; and Stingerella, who uses the Scorpion Spirit with near perfection. Have them strike together and they will be unstoppable!" Octomus explained.

Dai Shi cocked his main head. "How are they different from other Rin Shi? I mean, they do have ribbons across their chests..."

Octomus laughed. "Always pessimistic. A good trait indeed... I still have some of Zen Aku's mind tech. I infused some Dark Magic into it, harnessing the five Animal Spirits I mentioned, and created special tech that, when inserted into a Rin Shi, it will give them the Spirit of those animals."

Dai Shi laughed. "Creative use of your necromancy..."

"Mentioning my necromancy... do you remember Master Vile?" Octomus asked.

"Of course. He was Bansheera's right hand man until he got hit with depression over the loss of his 'son'. Sentimental fool."

"Well, he has asked for my help. He wishes for me to bring that 'son' of his back with my necromancy. Interesting situation, am I right?"

Dai Shi nodded all of his heads. "Indeed. We need to plan out we can blackmail him... Does he have anything of value?"

Octomus laughed. "He still has the Orb of Doom, my friend."

"Oh, my! Fantastic. I guess all of this patience Grizzaka told me I needed to have is actually paying off." Dai Shi said, musing over his impatience.

Octomus grunted. "Don't give the Overlords more credit than they deserve. They fell into power here on Earth. We owe them nothing. They, like everyone else, will fall before us, worshipping us like the gods we are destined to be."

"True, my friend. True." Dai Shi said before turning to the Five Fingers of Poison. "You five! I command you to go to the surface of Earth and attack. Now!"

Stingerella stepped forward, leading the others in a salute. "Yes, master!"

. . .

"So, they are in fact ready, correct?" Bansheera asked, turning to Deviot.

He bowed before her. "Oh, of course, your majesty. They are everything you could have wished for and more!"

Bansheera then turned and stared out her window. In space, her former fortress floated. To her, it almost felt as if it were beckoning her to return. It had been hers since she had betrayed Lothar eons ago. She wanted it back. She sneered as she looked upon it, half digitized after the destruction wrought upon it nearly two thousand years prior by the Alliance Power Rangers. She smiled to herself, seeing the justice and revenge she would get from having those who took it away from her ultimately give it back was sweet to her tastes.

"Then send them. Send the Bio Mech Power Rangers to get me back my castle." Bansheera ordered.

Deviot pushed a button on a remote control. In an instant, five flashes of light erupted from the ship Bansheera was using. The lights, each carrying a Bio Mech Ranger, unceremoniously landed atop the Dark Fortress. Not caring at all that they were triggering every alarm, the Bio Mech Rangers blasted their way into the ship, attacking the crewmen as they went.

In the main room, Dark Specter howled in anger. "Who dares to be so arrogant, to attack my fortress!?"

Darkonda grunted. "I know who... it can only be that fool, Bansheera. I will go, my liege, and destroy her intruders."

Dark Specter nodded. "Good. But be warned... I feel a spike in the Morphing Grid. These are _not_ normal fighters. You will need to take another with you. Ecliptor! Come forth!"

Darkonda stepped back in astonishment. "Who is that!?" Darkonda looked the black and green gridded warrior up and down. He looked as if he was a cyborg of some kind.

Dark Specter laughed. "I may not be the Alpha Demon Beelzebub, but I was created from his raw essence! I have similar abilities that he had. I took the leftover essence of his faithful knight, AM Dragon, and with the help of Bansheera's 'loyal' associate Deviot, recreated him. He is no longer AM Dragon, but now Ecliptor."

Darkonda sneered. The little piece of him that was still Novact began to grow inside him. Festering with feelings of jealousy, mixed with more of inadequacy. Swallowing his pride, he bowed before Dark Specter. "Brilliant move, my king. Ecliptor! Let's move."

Ecliptor nodded and saluted Darkonda. "On your mark."

Deviot, in his laboratory, watched his map as he saw the Bio Mech Rangers slice through Dark Specter's forces. He was giddy, seeing his newest project, Ecliptor, march in their direction as well. He was curious to see how Ecliptor would fare against his ranger team.

Deviot had secret tech that he could use to bring back Spirits from the Afterlife, but nothing strong enough to bring back a Demon. Not until Dark Specter had used his energy to revive AM Dragon. In a similar fashion that Deviot had recreated Ticon's body, creating Morticon, for Octomus, Deviot had fashioned a new body for AM Dragon, using the unique grid technology from Dark Specter.

The upcoming encounter was being recorded on Deviot's graphs. He was going to use it to sample both Ecliptor's and the Bio Mech Rangers' weaknesses, so that he could use that knowledge when he finished his project on his newest Bio Mech Ranger that he had just began making that morning.

"This is too exciting!" Deviot proclaimed, turning to Bio Mech Silver.

The Silver Ranger nodded. "Yes, it is, but... why can I not join them?"

Deviot laughed. "Because I know Ecliptor, for a fact, could not handle all six of you together. It would pass his threshold. Now, the five of them hitting him simultaneously... it shouldn't destroy him, so I'm curious to record how he will handle such a hit. Now, I know much of it will have to do with his own 'grit', but... if he is able to pull energy out, I'll know I built a durable fighter!"

Bio Silver placed a hand to his helmet. "Interesting..."

"Oh! Oh! Here it comes!" Deviot yelled, running to his monitor. He turned on the cameras on the Bio Mech helmets to see everything from their point of view. He frowned as he saw the image before him.

"Darkonda, too? Hmmm... I'll have to adjust my calculations post battle to include him, then..."

On the Dark Fortress, Bio Red pointed at Ecliptor. "Stand down or be destroyed."

Ecliptor swung his blade with fury. "No one tells me what to do. I am the mighty Ecliptor. I will strike down anyone he challenges Dark Specter's mighty empire!"

"Attack!" Bio Blue yelled.

Bio Blue and Yellow teamed up against Darkonda. They began fighting ferociously, trying to take him down. Tapping into the dark powers he had been given by Bansheera when he was reborn into his Demon form, Darkonda hit Bio Blue with surprising power, sending him flying.

As Bio Blue hit the wall, his vision blurred. He looked, seeing the Red and Pink Rangers dueling hard against Ecliptor as Bio Yellow fought with all her might to keep Darkonda at bay.

Bio Blue shook his head and said, "Claire... Be careful... We don't know what Novact is capable of in this form..."

Bio Yellow paused for a moment upon hearing that statement. She then flipped into the air, kicking Darkonda in the head. He flew backward.

She turned and gave the okay sign to Bio Blue with her left hand. "I'll keep that in mind, Drew."

He laughed and ran up to Bio Yellow, patting her on the shoulder. "Let's show Novact what happens when he messes with the United Alliance."

She got into a fighting stance. "Ready when you are."

Darkonda stood up, staring at the two, bewildered. He gripped his sword in anger. "WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!? MY NAME IS DARKONDA! DON'T YOU EVER CALL ME BY THAT OTHER NAME AGAIN!"

Ecliptor kicked Bio Red, sending him flying into the air. As he flew, Darkonda jumped up and slashed the defenseless ranger as he floated by. The slash sent him flying in a different direction, hitting a pipe with his helmet as he went down.

Getting up, Bio Red laughed. "I don't know who you think you are, Novact, to be telling _us_ what to do, but my hear me now... In the name of the United Alliance, you are under arrest."

Bio Pink shook her head. "Reon... What are we doing here? What are these powers we are using?"

Darkonda shot a ball of Black Energy at her. She flipped out of the way, narrowly avoiding contact. She joined her four comrades.

"I have no clue, Priscilla. I'm... really confused, come to think of it... Rahp?" Bio Green replied.

Deviot slammed his face into his hands from his monitor in his laboratory. "Not again... Bio Silver... please ready yourself to collect them."

Bio Mech Silver saluted. "Yes, my master."

Back at the battle, Ecliptor walked forward and pointed his blade at the five cyborg rangers. "Well, let me help ease your confusion: you are on the Dark Fortress. I am Ecliptor, and I am here to destroy every last trace of you. En guarde!"

. . .

Rita stared on from her telescope as she saw Robo Knight on the Earth's surface. He was watching the ship descend. From out of it, Zordon feebly walked out. He extended a hand and shook Robo Knight's hand. She sneered as she watched them exchange pleasantries.

"I'll destroy him just like I made space dust of their best warrior on Tarmac 3. Squatt! Baboo!"

The two ran forward, bowing before their empress. Babool looked up and asked, "What is it that you wish, your evilness?"

"Go down, and pretend to attack Zordon. Be quick. Lead them into the Magic Realm and have them get caught up in the middle of the battle going on there. I want you to tell Goldar and Scorpina to take care of them! That will get Zordon and his tin can out of my way long enough for me to search for Ninjor! Ah-hahaha!"

"Righty-o, Rita!" Squatt said, jogging after Baboo.

"And make sure you do it well, or I'll send you back to the communications department!" Rita yelled after them, throwing a book in their direction. She then walked into Finster's lab.

"Are you ready, dog face!?" She demanded.

He quickly put the papers he had been looking over in a cabinet above his head. "Oh, I'm so excited! Yes, I am, my empress!"

Rita frowned. "What was that you were working on?"

"Oh, it is some papers we were able to take from Tarmac 3. It appears to be the schematics for some zords. I can't quite make it out, though. The only thing I have translated up to this point is the title: 'The Scrolls of Zordina'."

Rita furrowed her brow. "Well... Don't let it distract you, got it? We have _real_ work to do! Got it!?"

"Of course, your evilness."

"Hmph. Come along then." She said, beckoning him to follow her. She then jumped onto a penny-farthing while Finster climbed onto a tricycle. "Let's go! Here we come, Ninjor! Your powers will soon be mine!"

Meanwhile, Squatt and Baboo had made their way to Zordon and Robo Knight. They threw a stink bomb at the two.

"... And it was very sad how... huh?" Zordon said, his face contorting to a face of disgust. "Robo Knight... has anyone cleaned out your gears lately?"

"It is not me who has caused you to sense this pungent odor. Behind you!" Robo Knight said, pointing to the duo.

Zordon rolled his eyes. "Oh. Them."

"Freeze! You are under arrest!" Robo Knight declared, raising his blaster.

"You'll have to catch us first!" Squatt yelled, holding up a metal orb. Unknown to Robo Knight and Zordon, it was nothing more than what it appeared to be.

Baboo began to sell the item to them. "Here, you see, Squatt has a bomb, and we are going to plant it right smack dab next to the Ancient City. Goodbye!" Baboo then focused and sent himself and Squatt to his homeworld: the Magic Realm.

"Curious..." Robo Knight said. "Why would they bother informing us?"

Zordon nodded. "Yes, it is suspicious, but... We'll need to follow up regardless. One moment..." Zordon reached into his robe and pulled out a communicator.

"Hello?" Trinity said from the other end. "Zordon, Honey... is that you?"

"Yes, Dear. Listen... Robo Knight and I need to follow up and investigate something in the Magic Realm. It looks suspicious. Can you and Gosei handle things here on the main plane? The Order of the Claw is still busy with Dai Shi's attack."

"Yes, but... please be careful Zordon. You're not in the shape you used to be in..." Trinity said, sound very concerned.

Zordon furrowed his brow. "I'll be fine. I'll see you tonight." He then turned and looked at Robo Knight. "Let's go."

Robo Knight typed some numbers into his morpher and pointed it at the mountain side. There, a portal opened between the two realms. Zordon and Robo Knight walked into it, heading to the Ancient City.

At the base of the mountain leading up to the Ancient City, Goldar and Scorpina slashed away at the knights and wizards fighting them. Suddenly, Goldar was stopped when he saw Squatt and Babool.

"Er... What are you two doing here!?" He demanded.

"Rita wants you and Scorpina to keep Zordon and Robo Knight busy." Baboo explained.

"Yeah, fight them!" Squatt added.

"Zordon and Robo Knight!? What!? Don't tell me you brought them here!" Scorpina yelled, angry. She was on a secret agenda to collect some artifacts from the Ancient City for Dai Shi and didn't need any distractions.

"Uhh... We gotta go..." Baboo said, disappearing.

"Hey! Wait up!" Squatt said, jumping into the same rip in the fabric of the dimensions that took Baboo away.

"Scorpina and Goldar... I should have known..." Zordon said, appearing before the two.

Goldar pointed his sword at Zordon. "You shouldn't have come here, old man. Today is the day Goldar destroys Zordon of Eltar! Ah-hahaha!"

"Let's get this over with quick..." Scorpina muttered, staring at Robo Knight, who had appeared beside Zordon.

As they stared at each other, Ryl flew overhead, carrying Leon, Ingat, Nagon, Galcon, and Lobo. Ryl shot lasers at the ground below as he made his way to the Ancient City, unfortunately for him missing Goldar and Scorpina, but eliminating the Hidiacs and Rin Shi who had been in the area. The fire exploded around Zordon, Robo Knight, Scorpina, and Goldar, causing as it were a ring of fire to appear around them.

"Not today, Goldar. Not today. Time for you to feel the power of the Nathadians. Ancient source: Mele-"

"Oh, this is too good!" Yoral yelled, appearing in the middle of the circle between the two forces, from seemingly out of nowhere.

Zordon almost fell back. "No... no... that's impossible..."

Yoral turned and winked at Zordon. "Missed me? Wow... All of these years I've been dreaming of beating your face in. I never thought that it'd be a raisin face! Hahaha! This seems too easy!"

Goldar snarled. "This is not your fight. Leave here!"

Blue and black light shimmered around Yoral. He turned, a look of fury on his face. "I'll use you as a warm up, then. Zocato power! Ancient source: Amaradon force!"

Zordon stared in shock as he saw the ranger suit from many of his nightmares reappear before him: the Amaradon Ranger. After Yoral had disappeared so long ago, he had wondered when he would appear again. After all the years that had gone by, it had become a near myth to him, and almost a non-threat. Seeing it again made him feel weaker than ever. He didn't realize it was because Yoral's near maxed out Zocato power was interfering with his Nathadian magic.

"Come here, ya monkey..." Amaradon Ranger demanded, rushing toward Goldar.

Goldar hesitated for a moment before lifting up his sword. "I will crush you! I don't care who you are! I am the mighty Goldar!"

Before Zordon could do anything, he felt a large impact hit him in the chest. He looked up to see Scorpina standing over him. She was about to strike him with her blade when Robo Knight slashed at her with his own. She turned and laughed at him as he got ready to fight.

"You know this won't end well, robot." She said, laughing.

"All I know is that you are evil. I fight for what's right. I will fight until every last trace of evil is destroyed, and that includes you. Prepare to feel my blade!" Robo Knight declared, running toward his opponent.

As the fighting between the two parties continued, Zordon pounded his fist into the dirt. _I'm useless! First Burai, now this... I need to get myself in gear!_ Tears streamed down his weathered face. He tried morphing, but Amaradon's Zocato power seemed to be completely blocking him. He felt helpless.

At the top of the the mountain, Masters Mao, Lope, Guin, and Rilla fought against their former master, Camille, with all they had. She had been joined early on in the battle by a squadron consisting of a mixture of Hidiacs and Rin Shi, which had been making things extremely difficult for the masters.

Mao sneered. "Why do you insist on this campaign of evil?"

Camille blocked a blow from Lope and smiled. "Because Dai Shi showed me my true potential. I didn't need to waste my time, learning to find my 'ultimate bond' with my Animal Spirit. There are other ways. The ways the Power Rangers have used the Morphing Grid. I can use my Animal Spirit to channel the Grid itself!"

She laughed as she slowly morphed before their eyes. They were shocked. They'd never heard of such a technique, and knew not how to copy the feat.

"Green Chameleon Warrior! Hahaha!" The warrior declared, getting into a fighting stance. As she was about to attack the masters, however, she was hit with a massive explosion, sending her flying. Had she not been morphed, she would have certainly been destroyed.

She clenched her fist, looking up to see Leon's group leap down from Ryl, who continued blasting the area. She stood up slowly and turned to Master Guin, who had been hit with some debris.

"Well, at least I can take one of you with me before the day is done..." She said, laughing. She thought of all the times she had felt lower than Guin in class. She had always been jealous of her, and the moment she was in, staring at her cowering before her, gave her great pleasure. She charged up a ball of Green Morphing Energy and pointed it at Guin.

"Goodbye, you horrib-" She started. Before she could finish, a dagger flew through the air, hitting her wrist and causing the Morphing Energy to blow up in her face. The explosion was so great it caused her to fly back, landing on her stomach and demorphing as well.

"Who...!?"

The student of the Order stood, jaw dropped open. "I... I did it..." He said, astonished. When he saw she was staring at him, he got the bravest look he could muster on his face and got into a fighting stance.

Camille slowly stood up, her attention completely focused on the new person in the room. "Who are you supposed to be!?"

Not leaving his stance, but swallowing hard, the student said, "With the Spirit of a Fly. Cub for the Order: Flit!"

Camille chuckled as hard as she could without it hurting. "A fly!? And only a cub? You desecrate this land just by standing on it. Mark my words, Fly Warrior... I _will_ get revenge for this. Remember... chameleons eat flies..." She then teleported away.

He fell to his knees, hands shaking. Master Rilla slowly made his way to him, crawling over the rubble. He placed his massive hand on Flit's back.

"That was very impressive, Cub. I'm proud of you."

Flit swallowed hard a third time. "Yeah... I just hope I don't live to regret it..."

All the while, ahead of the troops, Leon and his friends eliminated the last of Dai Shi's invasion. By the time Lionel appeared with the main force, the battle was all but over.

"What!?" Lionel demanded. Fear struck him in the heart as he saw Leon leading the battle. He didn't want his brother to get hurt, and to have shown up as the front force was extremely dangerous. "How did you-!?"

Leon pointed up his with maw. Looking up, Lionel saw Ryl flying overhead. He growled in anger and made his way to Leon. He looked around at the battle marks, and the Order Masters lying on the ground, wounded. He recognized many of the scorch marks bearing the same marks that was almost known as Ryl's calling card. Knowing how obedient Ryl was when he had riders guiding him, the general quickly figured out what his twin brother had done.

"Do you see the mess you caused!? You could have gotten someone killed!" Lionel roared at Leon.

Leon was shocked. He was honestly expecting to be treated like the heroes he felt he and his friends had been. "What!? What!? Are you _serious_!? I saved them! Camille was about to make them minced meat!"

Lionel gestured over to Guin being helped up. "Oh, I'm sure that's what happened. I can tell."

Leon roared with ferocity, causing everyone to stop and stare at the argument. "You have no idea what you're talking about!"

"You're bad judgment calls caused more damage than Dai Shi himself could have done! We have formations for a reason: to keep people safe. You may have saved people today, but you were lucky! Are battle formations ensure the lowest number of casualties while ensuring little to no friendly fire! Got it?"

"We aren't machines, Lionel! Not at this moment and not ever in the future! We need to be flexible sometimes! I know what I did was right!"

"You. Were. Lucky! You're jealousy has become too much!"

"Jealous!? Of you!?"

"You're benched!" Lionel roared. Suddenly, the scene grew silent.

Flit looked to Master Mao. "What's going on?"

Mao shook his head. "You don't want to know..."

Leon then snapped. It was almost as if he couldn't control himself. Almost.

The next thing Lionel knew, he felt Leon bulldoze himself into his side. He leapt off Lionel, breathing hard. He was in a frenzy and everyone could see it.

"Leon... no..." Ingat said, walking forward. Lobo jumped in front of her and shook his head.

Nago placed a hand on Ingat's head. "This is between them, not us."

Lionel stood up and laughed. He knew that would make Leon even angrier. He looked at him and, seeing Leon's hair standing on end, he knew he had succeeded. "Okay, fine. Let's dance, little brother."

Leon grunted. "I'm gonna make you wish you hadn't said that."

. . .

From their ship in orbit, Cris-Re looked at the sun. The light it was giving off hit his skin and even through the glass, he frowned. It felt different, and he wasn't used to it. He worried it was affecting his crew negatively.

He walked into the main lab and looked to the scientist the council had sent them. Fresh out of school, he wondered if she was experienced enough to handle the oddity of the sun in the solar system.

"Have you found anything, Cass-Mer?" Cris-Re asked.

She shrugged. "Yes and no. I have found some interesting reactions between our cells and this sun, but I still don't know _why_."

As he was about to reply, Andon-Do ran into the room. He had a look of worry on his face. "We have a problem..."

Cris-Re furrowed his brow. He turned to Cass-Mer and said, "Keep working on this. I'm depending on you."

As he left the room, Cass-Mer shook her head. _Depending on_ _me_ _!? I'm just a kid... But, he's the main guy of... everything. I should be honored just to be here. I must do the House of Mer proud..._

In the main control room, Cris-Re and Andon-Do walked in. Lar-Van also wore a look of concern while the newest member of the Beast Watch, Tow-Lor, was in a corner, meditating. Cris-Re nodded to himself in agreement. He was glad to see the newest recruit was taking the designation seriously.

"What is the situation, Lar? And... where is Cai-Zar?"

The strategist sitting next to Lar-Van, Jak-Am, rolled his eyes. "He's playing video games in his dorm."

Cris-Re shook his head. "Andon... could you bring him here. We all need to be in attendance for these meetings."

"Understood." Andon-Do replied, leaving to fetch the Green Ranger.

Jak-Am narrowed his eyes to Cris-Re and pointed to a spot on the hologram of Earth that was hovering on the table. "Right there, we have activity of some beings using Animal Spirits to cause problems."

"Okay. Then we know what to do." Cris-Re said, looking at Lar-Van.

She nodded. "I just don't understand how they can be so horrible... using the pure Animal Spirits for evil... like the gold Scorpion Warrior and the Chameleon Warrior on Earth. It's such a perversion of the Animal Spirit."

Andon-Do and Cai-Zar walked in at that point. Looking at the hologram, he was able to deduce what had been occurring. He said, "Okay. More problems on the planet Earth, huh? Well, I'm excited to feel more of that buzz this sun seems to give me! Haha!"

Cris-Re closed his eyes. "Please take this seriously. Like Tow-Lor."

Cai-Zar looked at him and laughed. "I'm... fine. Really."

Tow-Lor stood up and walked to the group. "I'm ready to go whenever you guys are."

Cris-Re stood and looked to Jak-Am. "What are your suggestions for attack?"

"There are five of them, so you will be tempted to go one on one. Stick together and I think you can take them on. I mean... they are from Earth, so they can't be TOO powerful." Jak-Am said confidently.

"Sounds good." Cris-Re said. He and the four members of his team walked out of the room as Jak-Am saw his cousin, Rach-Ur, enter the room.

"They gone?" She asked.

He nodded. "Yeah."

She laughed. "Why am I even here?"

He gave her a look. "You're here to be my apprentice, to be a strategist as well."

"I want to fight, not strategize!"

He smiled. "I know, I know. This career path does offer the opportunity to become an Elite, you know. That's why I nominated you."

She huffed and plopped next to him on the chair Lar-Van had been in. "I know, I know... I _do_ appreciate you looking out for me and trying to get me fast tracked to my career preference. Thanks, cuz."

"Don't mention it. Now that you're here, though..." He said, waving a wand over the hologram to reveal a game of strategy, similar looking to chess. "...Let's finish that game."

"Oh, come on! No!"

"It's good practice for strategy!"

"I hate you..." Rach-Ur said, laughing as she took her turn.

Meanwhile, the Beast Watch Rangers arrived in the teleportation bay. They looked to the two techs, Mar-Ran and Tob-Zu, and gave them the coordinates of where the disturbance was on Earth.

"Okay." Tob-Zu said, inputting the data. "You set?"

Andon-Do shook his head. "No. We are going to morph first."

"Ah. Okay. Should have known that was going to happen." Mar-Ran said, smiling at Tob-Zu. He tried not to smile. They had a running joke between them that Andon-Do secretly wanted to be Cris-Re and that any opportunity he would get, he would act as if _he_ was the Red Ranger.

Cris-Re put his arm in front of him, touching the morpher on his wrist with his other hand. "Ready?"

"Ready!" The other four shouted.

"Call of the Animal Spirit!" They all shouted together.

"With aerial speed: Red Hawk!" Cris-Re shouted as his suit materialized over him from his morpher.

"With brute force: Black Bison!" Andon-Do declared.

"With aquatic agility: Blue Dolphin!" Lar-Van shouted.

"With awesome power: Green Rhino!" Cai-Zar said, smiling with pride at having one of the strongest Animal Spirits in existence.

"With noble courage: Yellow Lion!" Tow-Lor said, taking in the still new sensation of the Morphing Grid surrounding him with its energy.

"Let's go..." Red Hawk said, motioning to the platform. They got on and were instantly transported to Earth.

Tob-Zu nodded. "They truly are Krypton's finest."

Mar-Ran smiled. "I'm glad we don't have to stick our necks out like that. I'd rather kiss Rach-Ur than do that.

Tob-Zu flinched when Mar-Ran said that. They looked at each other and laughed. Tob-Zu shoved Mar-Ran. "You're such a jerk."

"I'm not the one obsessed with a wannabe warrior princess!" Mar-Ran joked, shoving Tob-Zu back.

On Earth, the Beast Watch Rangers materialized before the targets: the Five Fingers of Poison.

Stingerella laughed as she saw them. "And who do you guys think you are?"

In unison, to intimidate, they yelled out, "Power Rangers: Beast Watch!"

Toady then stepped up, saying, "Well, prepare to meet your match. We are the Five Fingers of Poison. Elite Rin Shi who are here to pave the way for our master, Dai Shi!"

Red Hawk pointed at them, "You'll be sorry you are not only threatening the Animal Realm on this planet, but using Animal Spirits for evil. Hi-yah!"

"Attack!" Stingerella yelled. Both teams of Animal Spirit wielding fighters then ran to meet each other on the battlefield.

. . .

Zordon had been able to get himself to the very edge of the ring of fire. Robo Knight and Scorpina appeared to be quite evenly matched. Amaradon Ranger, to Goldar's surprise, seemed to be doing very well, blocking each of the gold cladding warrior's moves.

Amaradon looked to Zordon. "You have _no_ idea how pathetic you look right now! I'm going to enjoy playing with you after I shave this monkey here."

Goldar screamed in fury. "You will pay for not addressing me with the respect I demand!"

"Whatever." Amaradon said, leaping over Goldar and hitting him with a blast of Zocato power. Goldar fell to his back, the blast giving him a concussion.

Zordon stared in shock. _He has become so powerful... How can I possibly stand up to that!? Instead of practicing and becoming powerful these past two millennia, I sat around. Now, I can't fight back. No one can... Is this the end?_


	11. Part 0 - Chapter 6: Greed

**Chapter Six: Greed**

Lothor sat, staring at the wall of his tent. Anger filled his mind with thoughts of revenge. He knew he needed to assemble his forces quickly if he was going to find the Crystal quickly. For him, the longer it was out of his grasp, the farther out into the universe it would get. He knew once it got far enough out, it would be extremely difficult to find.

As Lothor continued to stare, Regina sighed. She placed her hand behind her head. It was still sore. As she felt it, she flashed back to the fight she had a few hours earlier:

Prue focused, looking at Regina. She could feel the Magic flowing from her foe, and she knew she had to hit her quickly.

"Levitate!" Phoebe screamed, causing her entire party to float above the earth. Regina sneered as she saw the move, but couldn't react quickly enough before she released her Magical shockwave.

The earth quaked beneath the sisters, but due to Phoebe's foresight, they were unaffected. Prue continued to charge. She winked at Regina as she did.

Killian pulled pulled out a dagger and ran forward. Before he got far, Piper shot a bolt of lightning at him. He felt his bones shake as he was thrown back, skidding across the ground as if he were a stone and Piper had used him to skip across the water's surface.

"Girls only. I hope you understand..." She said, blowing him a kiss.

"Ugh... Sometimes I feel like I live on the floor..." Killian said, thinking back on how many times he remembers getting decked during fights. He rubbed his jaw, annoyed, as he did.

"Quake!" Phoebe yelled, targeting Regina as she attempted to charge for another attack. Regina performed a side cartwheel, narrowly dodging the devastating spell.

Prue then grinned. "Taste my fury! ULTIMA!"

Regina furrowed her brow. She had never heard of such a spell. Prue began laughing. Green light began seeping out of her mouth and eyes before leaping out of every one of her pores.

Fear gripped Regina as she saw what appeared to be a tidal wave coming out at her, erupting from Prue's body. It stretched out along the landscape, washing over everything in its path. Regina closed her eyes and cast a teleportation spell. Nothing happened.

"What!?" Regina demanded.

Piper pointed and laughed. "Once Ultima is cast, you can't escape it!"

Prue, now on all fours, heaving on the dirt beneath her, looked up. Sweat drenched her face, leaving her hair clinging to her brow in clumps. She smiled. "That'll teach her..."

The wall of Prue's lifestream moved with alarming speed. Regina had never seen such a spell, and she was terrified. She knew of only one thing that may protect her.

"Nathadian Magic Shell!" Red Nathadian Magic enveloped her. As the orb appeared, the Ultima spell washed over her. She was thrown back in the shell, feeling her muscles whip back hard. She fell in a bundle of limbs in the shell. The orb of Magic was tossed about in the Ultima spell, like a buoy caught in a wave before the lifestream dissipated.

Prue, Phoebe, and Piper watched incredulously. They could not believe Regina had been able to escape unscathed. Piper and Phoebe huddled around their sister, protecting her as she recuperated.

Regina got up as her Magic shell disappeared. She tried moving her neck around, satisfied to feel it okay at the moment. She knew it wouldn't stay that way for long, though.

 _I don't believe it... I finally got a Nathadian spell to work. Well, good timing, I guess..._ She thought to herself. She then smirked. _May as well try another, then..._

"Nathadian Flare Storm!" She yelled. Her combination of Witch and Nathadian Magic caused many orbs of fire to begin erupting around the sisters.

"Ah!" They screamed.

"Escape!" Phoebe yelled, using the last ounce of Magic she had and teleported the sisters out of the way of Regina's harmful Magic.

Killian walked over, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry I wasn't much help, Love. Kinda in over my head and whatnot..."

Regina, feeling completely drained, nodded. "I understand. I... I just feel like we haven't seen the last of those hags..."

In Lothor's tent, Regina jumped as she felt Lothor place his hand on her shoulder. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek before saying, "Regina, dear... Gather the Masters... We need to talk."

. . .

Phoebe frowned as Piper placed the bandage on her arm.

"Sorry, sis... The potion on the bandage will heal you quickly. I promise." Piper said.

Phoebe sneered. "Well, it's because of that stupid Witch we ran into! Who is she, anyway!? I've never even seen her before!"

Prue stood up from her place at the dinner table and walked over to her sisters. "I... I don't know. She used techniques I have never seen before."

Piper smiled. "Well, we're still in one piece, aren't we? And I believe we gave her a run for her money..."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "There were _three_ of us. I'd _hope_ we would give her run for her money!"

"Just trying to be optimistic..." Piper said, mixing more healing potion.

"My idea of optimism includes making sure she pays for trespassing in our territory..." Prue said, staring off into the distance out the window of the cabin they were in.

"How!? We'll just have our powers handed back to us again!" Phoebe protested.

Prue smiled. "Well, if three doesn't work, why not four?"

Piper's eyebrows lifted up. "Are you sure? She very definitely said she didn't want to be apart of our coven."

Prue shrugged. "I don't blame her. We were slowing her progress. But I'm sure if I told her that _one_ Witch was able to defeat us all _simultaneously_ that her curiosity would be peaked. You know she can't resist a chance to prove how powerful she is!"

Phoebe nodded. "You're right... Let's give our big sis a call, then. This should be good..."

. . .

Beelzebub, Goresakubo, Azazel, and Diabolico sat on one of Jupiter's moons. They stared at the Crystal of Doom. The power it gave off felt foreign to them. They couldn't figure out what it was for or what it was supposed to do, either.

"Well, we know it is supposed to spell doom for its opponents, obviously..." Goresakubo thought aloud.

"It most definitely is a weapon." Beelzebub agreed, staring at it.

Azazel picked it up. The large object was clunky in his hands. "A bit cumbersome. With all of these jagged edges, it would need to be placed in a box during combat. It would be too easy to drop."

"Or, perhaps..." Diabolico began. "We can fashion it, smoothing it out so we can wield it in our hands."

Azazel nodded. "That is a very good idea, brother."

Beelzebub then stood and laughed. "Very good indeed. We will need to focus, though. We don't want to damage it, and we don't want it to explode on us or something silly like that. So, let's make a plan on how we will go about smoothing it out."

Goresakubo pointed at it. "It is a rather odd, oblong shape right now. What shape would you like it to have."

"An orb." Beelzebub replied. "Definitely an orb."

. . .

Castiel and Michael flew through space. The sights were incredible during their journey, and Castiel felt badly that he was in a part of the universe he had never been in before, and had to ignore the new sights.

 _This may he the bottom of the universe, where thieves and murderers dwell, but boy did they choose a gorgeous location..._ He thought to himself. He looked you his king, who wore a look of determination on his face.

"You love your brother very much, don't you?" Castiel said, breaking the long silence during their trip from Eden to this solar system.

"He's family. I can't let my family dip into chaos. It isn't right. Daily my heart pains for my own flesh and blood having left the rest of us behind. We have had great times together. Before Lilith, we were the best of friends. I miss him very much. Yes, Cass: I love him. And I will do anything to bring him back. Anything." Michael said, not turning to look at Castiel. He was concentrated fully on finding the source of the energy he had been feeling.

Castiel nodded. "Well, we're here."

The duo looked out over the solar system. They could see many planets, ranging from gaseous giants to smaller rocks near the star of the system. Beelzebub pointed to the third planet from the star. It was a blue and green rock, with one single continent being the green portion.

"That planet. I feel the same dark presence being on it that I felt a few months ago. That strange energy that flowed through the universe." Michael told Castiel.

"And this is where your brother is, as well?"

"Yes. He is cloaked well from us, but I can feel whatever new power he has gained for himself creeping out, alerting me to him. I don't know which planet he is on, but we will find him." Michael explained.

Castiel pointed at a small, icy rock floating near them. "Let's start on that planet."

Michael furrowed his brow. "That's... not a planet. This system only has eight planets."

Castiel shook his head. "No, that's definitely a planet, bringing this system to a total of _nine_ planets."

"I'm sorry Cass, but that's not a planet."

"Yes, it is."

"I suppose we will need to investigate it either way. Let's go." Michael said, his and Castiel's energy wings glowing beautifully against the backdrop of outer space as he led the way down to the rock, hoping to find his brother.

. . .

Moltor looked on as they watched each Morphing Masters and The Top leave their tents. Flurious turned to him, a large smile on his face. "This is going to work! The fools have left everything completely unguarded!"

"This is going to work out exactly as I planned. Now, follow me. We're going to get the score of a century." Moltor said, pleased with himself.

Flurious combed his hair back and laughed. "Yeah! Let's do this! Score of the century!"

"Score!" Moltor yelled, laughing as he walked toward the camp. After ten steps, however, Flurious stopped as he saw Moltor stand still.

"Uh... Moltor? What's up?" Flurious asked, confused. He made his way slowly to his brother when he didn't get a response. He looked him up and down before noticing the look on his face. He looked as if he was being electrocuted. Unfortunately for Moltor, that was _exactly_ what was occurring.

Flurious grew wide eyed as he saw Moltor's eyes bulging from his head, teeth chattering. "I'll save you bro!" Flurious yelled, grabbing Moltor. As he did, he began to be electrocuted, as well.

The two holding each other and getting sparked by Lothor's enchantment created a lot of backcharge, exploding and sending the flying backwards. They landed in a heap twenty feet away.

With charred faces, they looked at each other. Flurious then frowned and shoved Moltor as he began to stand up. "Any other bright ideas, _leader_? Idiot..."

Moltor stood up, limping after his brother as he walked away. "Hey... hey! Wait up! Hey!"

From a few feet away, Vexacus nodded. "I must have been lucky when I dropped in the other day. The whole camp seems to be booby trapped. Hmmm... if I am to get my revenge on Lothor, I'm going to need to plan this out with more efficiency..."

. . .

The four Witches stood on the other side of the camp, opposite to where Vexacus was. Prue, Phoebe, and Piper looked to their eldest sister. She was one of the strongest Witches in the universe, and she knew it.

"Well? Can you feel her?" Prue asked.

The elder sister, Paige, smiled. "Oh, yes. I can feel her. She feels _very_ powerful... This fight is going to be one for the history books, sisters. Hahaha! What was her name again?"

"I overheard the pirate looking guy call her Regina." Piper said.

Paige smile again. "Well then, _Regina_... Brace yourself, because here I come..."


	12. Part3-Chapter6:Like Putty in Their Hands

**Chapter Six: Like Putty in Their Hands**

Zordon watched incredulously as Amaradon Ranger blocked Goldar's sword with the palm of his hand. Goldar stopped dead in his tracks.

"Huh!?" Goldar exclaimed.

Amaradon laughed. "See ya, Goldie." He then jumped and performed a reverse kick, sending Goldar flying out of the ring of fire. As he slammed into the mountainside, he rolled down, extinguishing the flames on his armor. He didn't readily get back up.

"Zocato power!" Amaradon yelled. A shockwave of power erupted from the black ranger, hitting both Scorpina and Robo Knight. Amaradon then set his eyes on Scorpina. "Ready to join your monkey friend?"

Before he could attack, however, Necrolai descended down from the sky, snatching Scorpina up. "Not today, Power Ranger!"

Amaradon watched as the two disappeared into the distance. He then turned to Robo Knight, who had taken his place between Zordon and Amaradon.

Amaradon pointed at the knight. "Are you sure you want to do this? I will rip you apart, gear for gear."

"Knight Dynamic." Robo Knight said as his answer, firing multiple lasers at Amaradon. Amaradon rolled away, but was still hit with a significant number of blasts. He fell to his stomach, his back smoldering.

"Now leave here, Black Ranger, while you still can."

"Ahhh!" Amaradon replied, rushing Robo Knight. The sentient machine got into a fighting stance, ready to fight, but was surprised when Amaradon leapt over him. Zordon watched in Fear as Amaradon began descending toward him, ready for the killing blow. Zordon closed his eyes and awaited the inevitable.

The inevitable, it seemed to be, took longer than Zordon thought. He opened his eyes to find himself in a mysterious outdoor setting. He shook his head, realizing where he was.

"I'm... I'm dead. So _this_ is the Afterlife..."

. . .

"Interesting..." The Sorcerer of the Sands remarked. "So the Ethereals have returned."

"Can they be trusted?" Joe asked, folding his arms. He wore a look of anger on his face.

"I believe so... As long as our goals are in alignment with theirs, that is." The sorcerer replied.

Miha furrowed her brow. "Well... Are they?"

"I don't know... Only time will tell." He said, a look of concern on his face.

"Master! Master!" Delu yelled, running in the large tent.

"Yes, my assistant?"

"Huge Demon activity in the universe. And it led me to... him."

The sorcerer sneered. "Dark Specter..."

"Yes, master. And also Bansheera. _And_ the Dark Fortress."

"Rangers! I need you to go there immediately!" The sorcerer said, concern on his face. "This may be our opportunity to eliminate the two most deadly beings in the universe in one fell swoop. Your powers are specifically tailored to fight Demons. Now go!"

Marvelous, to the side, heard none of this. The only thing he could think about was the damage he had caused over the past few centuries. His heart was beating faster. Suddenly, he felt the card in his long coat begun to burn. He pulled it out. He could feel it burning his palm, but for some reason he couldn't let go. He then stared, wide eyed as his veins began to turn black, the blackness creeping up toward the card in his hand.

"Marv!" Luka yelled a fourth time. Marvelous snapped to attention, looking from her to the card and back. No black veins. No burning.

"Uh... yeah... what?" He replied.

"Follow us. We have the coordinates. Come on!" She yelled, sprouting wings and flying away.

The sorcerer, concerned, walked to Marvelous. "Are you alright?"

He flashed him a grin, causing his translucent, electric looking wings to spread out from his back. "Of course. I'm Marvelous." He winked and ran forward, flying into the air. As he pocketed his Power Card, though, he frowned. Where the card had been in his palm, a rectangular scar could be seen, from where the card had burned him.

. . .

Bio Red lunged forward, with both he and Bio Green ducking Ecliptor's advance. Bio Green kicked Ecliptor's hand, sending his sword flying away. It clattered on the grated ground loudly as it skidded under a network of pipes extending from the boiler nearby.

Bio Pink and Bio Blue were able to grab Darkonda by each arm, holding him momentarily. They watched as Bio Yellow ran up and, jumping, kicked Darkonda on the chest. The other two rangers let go of him and allowed him to fly backwards into a wall.

"You haven't changed a bit, Novact." Bio Yellow declared, pointing at him.

"Who are you!?" Darkonda screamed in frustration. He hated that these people were calling him by his human name. He felt as if that was demeaning and devaluing everything he had built for himself over the twenty centuries he had been living as a Demon. The reputation he had garnered for himself.

"You don't recognize me? Do you remember the name... Claire Risp?"

"You! I... I will _never_ forget you. You're the one who ruined my life! You were my jailer!" Darkonda screamed, rushing at her. Bio Blue and Pink jumped in and began fighting him, protecting Yellow.

The Yellow Ranger stood, stunned. Memories started flooding her mind. The Zeo Crystal. Commander Zedd, Rahp, Filcar, Lovel, Novact, and many others. Her old guilt over those actions returned. As she turned around, she was suddenly met with a punch to the helmet.

"I will end you here, ranger." Ecliptor declared. Bio Red and Bio Green were on knees in the background, struggling to get up

"Not this time, Ecliptor." Bio Mech Silver declared, teleporting into the room and shooting him in the chest.

"Who are you!?" Bio Red questioned.

"I'm here to bring you guys back home. Hurry! Come with me! Now!" The Silver Ranger yelled, firing blasts at Darkonda to get the other rangers time to get to him.

Yellow Ranger stood up slowly, half of her helmet gone, having been shattered by Ecliptor's great power. "You're... one of us?"

"Yes, now hurry! Hurry!" Bio Silver yelled.

"You!" Luka yelled, walking through a wall while her four teammates did the same.

Bio Silver turned to see her and laughed. "Oh, good! I was looking for you as well! Thanks for saving me the trouble!" He pointed his blaster and fired at her.

Remembering he had a setting for hitting spiritual matter, Luka rolled out of the way. She and her team then became physical.

"Gokaigers?" Bio Pink asked.

Doc cocked his head to the side. "Do we know you?"

Miha squinted and looked at the Yellow Ranger's half exposed face. As she began to place it, Darkonda sent a ball of Black Energy at the Gaia Rangers.

"We're gonna have to morph!" Joe yelled.

Marvelous stood up. "Right... Change card!"

The other four followed his movements. They then yelled out together: "Sky Armor!"

Almost instantly, the five became the Gaia Power Rangers. They got into fighting stances, ready to attack.

Darkonda began to back away. He could feel their power, and it was making him weak. Ecliptor by that point had made it back onto his feet. He stared as there were now six more rangers than when they had started.

Ecliptor huffed. "I'm not stupid. Darkonda: let's go." He then caused a grid like portal to appear behind him. Darkonda, upset over being ordered to do something so authoritatively by an underling, but more concerned for his life, backed into the portal as well.

"No!" Gaia Green yelled, jumping into the portal after them as it closed.

"Doc!" Gaia Blue screamed, diving but missing him.

Bio Silver shot several blasts at the Gaia Rangers. "Stay behind me. They're dangerous!"

Bio Blue turned to him. "No, they're friends..."

"A lot has changed, and not only your suits. Or their suits. The pirates are evil again. Follow me and I will get you guys out of here safely."

Gaia Pink shook her head, remembering the face. "Claire! It's me! Miha! Please listen to us. He's not who he says he is!"

Gaia Yellow perked up. "The Alliance Rangers!? But... how!?"

Gaia Blue shrugged. "Same way we are here now. The universe is a silly place..."

Bio Red folded his arms, looking from Bio Silver to the Gaia Rangers. "I'm not going with anyone. Rangers, let's move out."

Bio Silver laughed. "That's... Not an option." He didn't want to resort to it, because he didn't want to drain so much of his own power, but he knew he had no choice. He flipped open a small control panel on his wrist and pushed a button, paralyzing the Bio Mech Rangers around him. He then pushed another button and, using a lot of his own power, teleported all six Rangers onto Bansheera's ship. To Deviot's laboratory.

The Gaia Rangers stood, staring.

"What just happened?" Gaia Yellow asked her team.

Gaia Blue sneered. "We lost Doc and the Alliance Rangers got kidnapped."

Gaia Red clenched his fists. He could feel pain in his left hand still from the burn his card had given him. "We gotta save them..."

Gaia Pink shook her head. "We have to get to Dark Specter. We may not get another chance. We don't know where the silver guy went, and odds are if we go to Dark Specter, we will find Doc there anyway."

Gaia Blue approached the Pink Ranger. "Who _is_ Dark Specter, anyway?"

"I'll explain on the way. Let's see if we can find a way to him." Gaia Pink said, leading her team into what she hoped wasn't their destruction.

. . .

Beast Red leapt through the air, dodging the onslaught of attacks from the members of the Five Fingers of Poison. He hit Naja as hard as as he could. Naja fell to his back, but quickly jumped up.

"Ship: report power levels. I hit that thing as hard as I could, and whatever boost I'm getting from this star, it didn't seem to affect him much." Beast Red said, dodging another attack from Gakko and Stingerella together.

Beast Black nodded. "Yeah, me too. This isn't making any sense."

Jak-Am frowned, looking at his monitor. "I'm as confused as you are. Your power output is off the charts. My machinery can't calculate how hard you guys are hitting, but... there's some sort of field around each of those Monsters. All of my calculations say that you should be able to rip into these guys no problem, so I can only suppose it's the field around them that is the missing variable to be able to calculate what's wrong."

Beast Blue got hit by Rantipede, sending her flying through the air. She landed with a thud. "Please hurry! We're getting destroyed here!"

Jak-Am left his cousin to watch the monitors as he ran to Cass-Mer's lab. He wanted to see if she had learned anything that could help figure out how the sun was affecting the rangers.

Jak-Am entered the lab. He saw Cass-Mer sitting at her desk, drawing diagrams. He smiled to himself, thinking how beautiful she looked in that situation. He approached her desk and asked her the status of the solar research.

Upon hearing his question, Cass-Mer shrugged. "I have no clue, Jak. I really don't. According to what I can see, they should be destroying those guys."

"But... they're not."

"Okay... um... send me the readings of the enemies. Obviously there's something about them that is not only counterbalancing Earth's star, but also _negatively_ affecting the team. Maybe I can figure out what's going on, but I'll need the info first." She said.

"I'll get you the info soon." Jak-Am replied, rushing back to his station.

Cass-Mer sighed. _Okay... But please hurry. I don't know how everything is connecting. I don't know if these effects are_ _hurting_ _them..._

She shook her head and looked at her report she was going to submit back to the council: "Kryptonians and the Photonucleic Effect". She hoped that she could find a break soon, for the rangers' sake.

. . .

Trinity narrowed her eyes as she saw the power spike. It was in the midst or some random desert. She turned to see Gosei with a concerned look on his face as he spoke with the Liarians.. He was always very secretive when it came to them. Zordonhad always told Trinity only he and Gosei could know of their dealings with Liaria, to protect her from anyone wanting to kidnap her for information. It just made he more worried over the situation.

She nodded to herself. She didn't want to interrupt them, so she slipped out of the room silently. She was going to investigate the disturbance on her own.

Gosei looked at Notrom. "So... it's done?"

He nodded. "Yes. Buried in the center of the Earth is the Greatest Treasure."

"And the defense network is set up with what teams?" Gosei asked.

Notrom pulled out a schematics and pointed to a few of the diagrams. "The Ranger Keys of the Space Rangers from the Karovan System, the Alien Rangers of Aquitar, and Team Victory from Earth."

Gosei squinted at the schematic. "Team Victory? How does that work without Dulcea or Yoral? They were integral parts of that team."

"Burai took Dulcea's place, so that's fine. The network is set up for teams of at least three. We saw that was the lowest number we could get for the Greater Power of a team to work. We got the Gold Ranger from Triforia, Meledon Ranger, Pink Ninja Ranger, and Robo Knight." Notrom replied.

"Robo Knight!? He's just a machine..."

"No, he's much more and just as much a ranger as the others. Can he not morph?"

"That's more like changing from one form to another-"

"Well, that's what morphing is: changing from one form to another. He has a Ranger Key and he is helping the network. What's done is done."

Gosei shrugged. "The more help the merrier, I guess... So, even if someone is able to get to the Greatest Treasure in the Universe, they CANNOT get to it without each Ranger Key."

"Each Ranger Key, plus access to _each_ Greatest Power attached to each team in the network."

"What if someone hacks into or destroys the network itself?"

"Impossible. The network source is in the force field, alongside the Greatest Treasure. The seal is made with our Key Magic and is unable to have the bond broken until the Greater Powers can break that bond. That's the only catalyst that can get the Greatest Treasure." Notrom said.

Gosei smiled. "After so many years... Gerlit and Guy would have been proud to be here today, to see this momentous occasion."

Notrom smiled. "Yes, they would. Now, we are going to go and see if we can find the newest team that has popped up: the Beast Watch Rangers. If we can get their powers copied into keys, that's one more set of Ranger Keys that an enemy would need to have to unlock the force field."

Gosei nodded. "Like I said: 'the more the merrier!'"

Notrom and his assistants dropped down from their chairs. They then lifted their key wands into the air and vanished. Gosei stood up and looked around.

"Hunh... where did Trinity go?"

. . .

Lionel kicked Leon in the jaw. As Leon flew through the air, Leon readjusted and pounced off the nearest mountain wall. He swiped furiously, claws retracted not scar his brother, and punched him hard several times.

The brothers landed, heaving and puffing. Their fangs were seen by all around as they bore them to each other. They both crouched, ready to strike.

They made eye contact. Within instants, the lions' coiled muscles released, sending them flying toward each other. Their impact was to be momentous.

With a mighty roar, Faor leapt into the air, grabbing both lions be the back of the neck and bringing them back down to the earth. He swung each to opposite sides of the field.

"Stop! Now!" He yelled. "We don't have time for this. Lionel: This is a family affair, and as a commander I refute your dismissal of Leon. You are too connected.

"Leon: Your reaction to Lionel was uncalled for and you will be reprimanded on base. You may leave now, Leon." Faor concluded, turning to speak to Lionel.

"But-" Leon started.

"DISMISSED!" Faor shouted, not turning to look at him.

Leon bowed his head and began walking to his friends. Although he knew he got off extremely well for the circumstances, his pride was still bruised badly. He was angrier at Lionel more than ever.

As Faor spoke with Lionel, all he could do was think of his brother. He knew his father would be very upset once he found out what Leon had done, and then take it the wrong way. Whereas Lionel knew Leon was a great fighter, his father believed him to be inferior to Lionel in every possible way. Lionel wished he could show his father how great Leon was, but at the same time cared too much for him, fearing he would lose him in battle.

Deep down, Lionel knew he was wrong for sheltering his brother. Deep down he knew that soon the time would come when he could protect him no more. And he feared that time was coming sooner, rather than later.

. . .

Trinity kneeled behind the peak of a crag, looking down at Rita, Finster, and a group of Tenga Warriors as they marched across the desert like area. She noticed Finster was holding a map in his hands.

 _What are you two up to...?_ Trinity thought to herself. She knew it must have been something big, because it was a rare thing to see Rita come down to Earth in person.

"Hurry up, Finster! My legs are getting tired!" Rita complained.

"Hmm... the map says the Temple of Power should be around here somewhere..." Finster said.

 _Temple of Power? I don't think so..._ She thought. She didn't know what they were up to, but she knew she didn't want Rita getting anymore power.

"Ninja Storm... Ranger Form..." She whispered, becoming the Pink Ranger.

"Okay, Finster... Hand it to me so I can-" Rita began. Before she could finish, a pink blur bounced around, sending several Tenga Warriors crashing to the ground. The chaos caused Finster to drop the map.

"Power Ranger!" Rita yelled, pointing at her. "Attack!"

She stood, pointing, but nothing happened. Her fighters had already been incapacitated. She frowned as she realized her dilemma.

The Pink Ninja Ranger laughed as she walked over and picked up the map. "I think I'll be taking this!" She then Ninja Streaked away, leaving the two villains alone.

"This is all your fault!" Rita said, hitting Finster repeatedly over the head with her staff.

"Yes, my queen. Oh! Sorry, my queen! Ow!"

A few yards away, on the other side of a large stone wall, the Pink Ranger stood, looking at the map. As she tried to read it, she felt something strange occurring to her.

"Huh?" She said as she was teleported. Suddenly, she found herself in a foggy room. Looking up, she saw a large, blue armored man sitting cross-legged at an altar. He stood up and waved.

"Who are you?" The Pink Ranger asked, getting into a fighting stance.

"Hello my fellow martial arts enthusiast! Oh, and a ninja to boot. I'm so proud." He then stuck out his chest and said, "I am the guardian of this temple. My name is Ninjor."

. . .

"No, this is not the Afterlife, Zordon of Eltar." A female voice said.

Zordon turned around, shocked to see three figures. They looked like silhouettes, each looking as if they were the personification of a different color.

The white one addressed Zordon again, apparently a female. "We are the Tribunal of Magic."

"Why am I here?" Zordon asked.

"Because, apparently, you squandered your Magic and we have to pick up the pieces for you!" The black silhouette shouted at Zordon.

The red figure shook his head. "Zordon, we have a responsibility to ensure that Magic permeates the universe. If you had been destroyed, it would have caused a chain reaction of events that would have allowed the universe to not have any Magic. We had to intervene."

Zordon was puzzled, although he understood the purpose of the "tribunal". "If you want to ensure Magic exists, why save me. He has Zocato power. Magic will persist, even without me."

Black screamed. "No! Zocato is the antithesis of Magic!"

White nodded. "The Zocato power not only negates Nathadian Magic, but it also could infect, if unopposed by Nathadian Magic, the Universal Magic Grid, destroying all of Magic!"

Red folded his arms and looked down. "Zocato power is not Magic. It is a virus towards Magic. You are the universe's last hope to protect Magic. Nothing can eliminate Zocato power like Nathadian Magic. Nothing. We need you."

The image of the Guardian flashed in Zordon's mind. This was obviously one of the futures he had envisioned. Zordon wondered, though, if it was the optimal one. He was fairly certain it wasn't, because of his own feelings of shame toward his lack of commitment to being the Meledon Ranger.

"Why me?" Zordon asked simply.

"All will be revealed in time." Red said.

White waved her arm, causing a hologram to appear before them. Zordon watched as Robo Knight fell to a knee, his armor looking badly damaged.

She pointed at Zordon. "Everyone you love and care about will be destroyed without you. We _all_ need you."

Looking back at the hologram, Zordon heard the following: "I will protect everyone on this planet. You will _not_ stop me." Robo Knight said.

Amaradon laughed. "Looks like I already have... Zocato power!"

Amaradon Ranger tossed something into the air. The black and blue cloud floated out from him and hit the object as it splat onto the ground. The object began shaking. Robo Knight stared, analyzing it.

"Scan complete. Clay?"

Amaradon nodded. "Yes... Clay. _Special_ clay."  
The clay began shaking more until it exploded into multiple mounds. Sickening plops could be heard coming as projections starting erupting from the mass. Before long, several clay men were dancing around Amaradon Ranger.

"Putties: Attack!"

. . .

December shook his head. He could not understand how everything had become as unpredictable as it had. His palm device then beeped, indicating the scan of the Ghost of Darkness' Underground Temple was complete.

"This is December. The anomaly seems to be a temple under the Earth. It's origin seems to be from the universe that branched into this one, but... it is older than it is supposed to be. It must have come here from the future."

December then stopped. He saw his recorder had only recorded his words, but did not send anything. He wondered if it was the Underground Temple, or something else interfering.

"Hello, December."

December turned around and frowned. "Rogue."

"Please... Call me September."

"You are The Rogue to me. Nothing more. Nothing less."

September's face fell. He had forgotten how emotionless Watchers were. He had tried to sequester himself from them for a very long time. "December... You are right. This is the temple of a time traveler. I have been investigating this place and I have yet to finalize anything."

December shook his head. "If you hadn't changed the destiny of this universe, we would have been able to find this anomaly as it happened."

September shrugged. "The collateral damage when attempting to bring free will to all of creation."

A vortex at that point began forming behind December. September grew wide eyed. "But... how?"

"They lost contact with me. They want to find me in case... _you_ are the disturbance."

September pulled out a Trizyrium Crystal. "But I have this!"

"We've made improvements." December said casually.

September tried teleporting out. He found that he couldn't. "...I can see that..."

September then got into a fighting stance. He knew that soon he would need to be fighting for his life against the Freelancers.


	13. Part 0 - Chapter 7: East Wind

**Chapter Seven: East Wind**

Lothor folded his arms across his chest. He frowned as he addressed the group of Morphing Masters before him. "As you may have heard, we were robbed recently. The forces of evil are becoming stronger exponentially faster than I expected. After some meditation, I believe I may have pinpointed the location of the missing artifact. It appears to still be close by. I will let you know when the time comes when we strike."

Lothor looked at each of them. They were all concerned. They knew, from what he had sold to them during his campaigns across the universe, that each artifact he had were the keys to unlocking what the Morphing Masters now knew was the Greatest Treasure in the Universe. He knew some were concerned because they truly cared for the universe and wished to be its protector. He knew the other portion was just like him: they were afraid their chance for supreme power was slipping out their grasp.

Lothor lifted up his hand and slowly closed it into a fist. "I promise you all we will get the crystal back. First... I need you all to continue working. This city must be completed soon. We will need to start our colony, to ensure we are a symbol of freedom throughout the land. Please, as usual, go and check the calendar posted on the door to my tent. That is all."

Regina walked up to Lothor, concern on her face. "Lothor? You don't have a plan, do you?"

He turned to her, a sneer on his face. "Of course I do!" He whispered roughly. "I always have a plan. That's how I got to be in the position I'm in now! Listen... the crystal is still nearby. I need some time to gather my strength enough to use theSword of Darkness and the Cannon of Ki. I felt that whoever took the Crystal of Doom was very, very powerful. I don't want to risk it. Meanwhile, there's no reason to let the city rot away. It needs to be finished for the next part of the plan."

Regina smiled. "Oh, you are _so_ devious! Perfect! What would you like me to do?"

"I felt a disturbance outside the camp. No doubt one of the stupid criminals from this part of the universe trying to break in. Would you be a dear and check on it for me?" Lothor asked.

"Of course." Regina answered. She then turned and began making her way to the outskirts of the campground, where Moltor and Flurious had shocked themselves.

Outside the nearly completed temple, Tidus and Auron stood. Auron laughed.

"What's so funny?" Tidus asked him.

"All of this. I knew Lothor wasn't organized enough to pull something like this off. You'll see, Tidus... slowly but surely, this will all fall apart. We'll start seeing more people popping up around here. Soon, we'll probably see this whole organization fall apart."

Tidus frowned when he heard Auron say that. For the first time in his life, he was feeling as if he had a family with the Morphing Masters. He didn't want to see that slip away. "What makes you so sure?"

Auron shrugged. "Experience. No good thing lasts forever. Remember that, Tidus. Everything has a beginning and an end."

"So you're saying that one day good will lose to evil?" Tidus asked incredulously.

Auron laughed a bitter laugh. "What I'm saying is that good will not always beat evil. Also, evil will not always beat good. There are cycles. Things rotate and shift, but in the end of it all... in the grand scheme of things? Each will have their time in the sun."

Tidus shivered as he felt goosebumps appear on his arms and back. The thought that evil could prevail made him uneasy. He hoped he would never have to deal with something like that.

. . .

Jor and Jakon looked up into the sky as Trueheart had asked them to. They sat, crosslegged on the grass.

"This is a waste of time..." Jakon said, annoyed.

"I dunno... Feels soothing to me..." Jor replied, staring.

Trueheart nodded. "If you can feel your environment, you can begin to feel the powers that are inherent to the universe."

"Trueheart... I don't mean to question your methods, but..." Jakon said, breaking his gaze with the sky and turning to the man training them.

"But what? You don't understand? Clear your mind and trust in a power higher than your own. Oh! Oh! App! Come quick!"

Jakon followed Trueheart's gaze. It landed upon his brother next to him. He saw that he had began to levitate from off the ground. "What kind of sorcery...?"

Jor looked down. "Whoa! That's awesome! Jakon? Do you see this!?"

Jakon squinted and nodded. "I'm seeing it... but I can't believe it!"

App came to the area, from the side of their practice grounds where he himself had been practicing, and looked at Jor in amazement. "You are beginning to feel the true powers of the ninja, my friend. Soon, you will be ready to embrace the power of the samurai.

"Jakon... Although you may not be seeing the same results as Jor, you too are becoming stronger. I can feel it. Just let go of what you _think_ you know, and you will have nothing holding you back." App said.

Jakon sighed in disappointment. He felt as if he was wasting his time out here. But, even Lothor cut back their hours on temple building for himself, Jor, App, and Trueheart, hoping to get the brothers fully prepared for... whatever it was he wanted them to be prepared for. He cocked his head back and began concentrating on the sky.

Suddenly, he could feel it. It was as if a world completely unknown to him had revealed itself at that moment. He smiled as he, too, began to levitate.

. . .

Vexacus stood on Earth's moon, thinking. He needed a way to defeat Lothor, but he couldn't figure out how. As he was lost in thought, a shadow fell over him. He jumped and got into a fighting stance, turning to see a being fly down from space, landing before him. He wore multi-colored robes, and an ornate mask.

"Who are you?" Vexacus demanded.

"I am the Earth Demon Shimazu, servant to his greatness Beelzebub. I have heard that my master was in the area and I am looking for him."

Vexacus shook his head. "I know nothing of Beelzebub or 'Demons'. I know only of the fiend Lothor who is on Earth. You say you are from Earth yourself?"

Shimazu bowed. "Oh, yes. I am from the most eastern part of the land. I was a great ruler, only opposed by Mesogog. I owe Beelzebub for coming down and granting me the power to live, even after my life was taken from me."

Vexacus laughed to himself, a plan formulating in his mind. "Did you know that Mesogog is now in league with Lothor?"

Shimazu stiffened up. "Mesogog lives? So, he survived... And this Lothor works for him now?"

"Actually, Mesogog works _for_ Lothor and is planning on taking the Earth for himself."

The part of Shimazu that was not Demon, the part of him that clinged to who he had been when he was yet living, pained to hear of someone else who was attempting to take what he deemed was once "his".

"I can feel my master is close... Perhaps if I stick around here, he will feel me, too. So... may I join you in your crusade against Lothor, seeing as I have nothing to do at the moment?"

Vexacus laughed mightily. "I thought you'd never ask."

. . .

Moltor and Flurious finished washing off their faces in a pond a ways off from Lothor's camp. Flurious turned to Moltor with a determined look on his face. "We need to get his loot."

"Most definitely." Moltor replied. "Imagine all we could buy with it."

"It will be the score to top all scores, my brother..."

"We're going to have to go in more prepared next time, though. What do you think we need to do to not be in danger again?" Moltor asked.

Flurious smiled. "Armor. We need armor."

Moltor scrunched his face in confusion. "Armor? Where are we going to find armor?"

"Over there." Flurious said, happy with the sudden spark of inspiration. He pointed to Mesogog's complex. "Over there... I'm _sure_ they will have what we're looking for!"

"Sweet idea, broski." Moltor said. "So we just... waltz on in, pretending we have something to sell to them, and..."

"...And when they're not looking, WHAMO! We take some armor and walk out. No problemo. Then, we'll be able to walk in like a breeze into Lothor's camp and take what we want."

"I like the way you think, Flurious." Moltor said, smiling as he stared at Lothor's complex.

Flurious nodded, a huge grin on his face. "Oh, yeah. This is going to work like a charm! Nothing can stop us!"

. . .

Beelzebub looked at the finished artifact before him. Its shine was greater than before, now that it had been polished and smoothed out by he and his group of followers.

"What an excellent artifact..." Azazel admired, handling it with care.

Diabolico nodded. "I must agree. I can feel its power, and it is much easier to handle."

Beelzebub took it himself. He could feel its power emanating. "Now... What do you think it does?"

Goresakubo shook his head. "I don't know. How do we even use it?"

Azazel laughed. "There's only one way to find out."

"Test it..." Beelzebub said, laughing. "So, let us head on our way. We will find a planet and attack it. While you all attack, I will attempt to figure out how to use this thing."

"On your mark, my master." Diabolico said, bowing. "We will go forth and test the Orb of Doom."

"Orb of Doom... I think that is definitely catchier than 'Crystal of Doom'." Beelzebub said.

With that, the group of Demons transformed themselves into their Cloud Form. Beelzebub as the Red Cloud led the way, with the Purple Cloud Azazel following shortly thereafter. The other two in their Black Clouds trailed behind. They were ready to pick a planet to test out the powers of the Orb of Doom.

. . .

Castiel followed Michael. Michael said he could feel a strange power, similar to the one he believed Beelzebub had. Michael pointed to a giant gas planet, saying he believed it to be the origin of the feeling.

Upon "landing", Castiel and Michael had to become their Spirit selves to stay on the planet, since it appeared to have no solid surface. Castiel watched as Michael looked around. He could tell Michael was becoming more and more frustrated.

"Argh! I felt him. He was here!" Michael yelled out in frustration. "I mean... I can still feel bits of the power lingering about, as if it is still here."

Castiel nodded. "Although I am not fully in tune with your brother and his energy signature, I, too, feel something powerful in the area. Whatever it is, it is still here..."

Michael and Castiel split up. They scoured the area quickly. Castiel was shocked to find two little crystals floating about in the gases of the planet. He could feel great power coming from it. He snatched them up and flew back to Michael, to show him what he had found.

"Michael, my king... I have found something. I believe the power is coming from it..." Castiel said, showing him the crystals in his hand.

Michael nodded, producing three more himself. "I, too, have found some jewels tossed about on this planet. They seem to be remnants of the power source Beelzebub has."

"Why would he leave them here?" Castiel pondered aloud. Both he and Michael were unaware they were the leftover shavings from when the Crystal of Doom had been modified to be the Orb of Doom. The left over shavings that had been near each other had bonded, becoming five separate jewels.

"I don't know... I believe it would be in our best interests to return to Eden and study these jewels. We need to know what we are up against." Michael said.

Castiel nodded. "I agree with you, my king. Let us return to Eden."

And with that, the two Ethereals began their trek out of the Milky Way galaxy, back to their home.

. . .

On the rock in the middle of the giant lake, Poseidon called for both Thor and Loki. He sat upon his throne as others walked about. The city they were creating on this planet was becoming quite populated with other High Ones, but he knew, for Odin's sake, he needed to focus on Thor and Loki, to help them get over their rivalry.

Once the brothers were standing before him, Poseidon pointed at them. "You two have been chosen to help fight the spread of evil throughout the universe. Listen to me now: Some of that evil has left this planet. I can feel it. I fear it will cause great damage to us. I am assigning you two to track it and contain it, before you are all in danger."

Thor wore a determined look on his face. He bowed his head and said, "Yes, King Poseidon! Whatever it is you want, we will follow through with it!"

Loki, too, bowed his head. "We will defeat the evil you say is trying to destroy our home."

"Good." Poseidon said. He then snapped his fingers and, through the power of his mighty Magic, produced a map before Thor and Loki.

"What is this map?" Thor asked.

"If you look upon it, a red dot can be seen. This is a map of a small portion of the universe. It will cover the area you are in, and scale it to show you where this piece of evil is. The red dot is the evil piece of power, and you are represented by the black dot." Poseidon explained. Knowing they did not yet possess the capability to feel the power source like he did, he knew the map would be of great help to them.

Loki nodded. "Okay. Let's head off then, brother."

Thor nodded as well. "Off we go..."

With tremendous power, both Thor and Loki flew up into the sky, leaving through the hole in the ceiling. As they flew, they both chanted the incantation to allow them to permeate out of the Magical membrane protecting the city, Atlantis. An orb of Magic surrounded each of them, allowing them the ability to leave. Once they were out of Atlantis' bubble, they made their way to the stars, hoping to find the source of power. The source they knew not was called the Orb of Doom.

. . .

Regina and Killian looked around the edge of the campsite. Killian pointed to a spot and laughed. "Here it is. Some fool got caught here."

Regina nodded. "You're right. It would appear as if they were caught in Lothor's electric field."

"Definitely no one we need to worry about then, Love. Even I, with what little Magical powers I have, could feel this obvious trap." Killian remarked.

"Yes. There is no way anyone who would be a credible threat to us would have been fooled by this trap." Regina said.

"You're right, Regina. I'm glad you see that I will be a credible threat." Paige said, teleporting onto the scene. Behind Paige, Prue, Phoebe, and Piper appeared, laughing.

Regina sneered, turning around. She saw a fourth person with them and laughed. "What? You had to call someone else to come and help you out? Can't fight your own fights?"

Prue stepped forward and pointed at her. "We won't be fighting you this time. It will be just you and our sister, Paige. Phoebe?"

Phoebe nodded, swiping her hand. A Magical cage appeared around Killian, trapping him. He threw his arms up in the air, flustered to be out of the fight. Again.

Regina shook her head. "I'm not going to fight you." She snapped her fingers, attempting to teleport Killian to her. Nothing happened.

"What?" Regina said, bewildered.

Paige laughed, causing Regina to wince. She found the laugh grating. "I thought you said she was powerful, Prue. How can a powerful Witch not even know about the Cage of Engagement?"

"The what?" Regina asked, more irritated than curious.

Piper rolled her eyes, irritated she had been defeated by such an inexperienced Witch. "The Cage of Engagement: a cage that ensures no one interferes with a one on one Witch battle. If you win, he's yours; if we win, he's ours."

"Uh... excuse me...? Man in the cage here. I'm NOT ANYONE'S PRIZE!" Killian screamed, banging on the metal of the cage.

Paige laughed again, causing Regina once again to wince. Something about the laugh seemed familiar to her. "If you don't want to be a prize, pray your dog here can beat me."

Regina sneered in anger. "I'm no dog, hag."

Paige turned her eyes onto Regina, fury emanating from them. Red Energy flowed around her. "You'll pay for that, little lady..."

Regina stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes widened. The way she said "little lady"... the laugh... her mannerisms... She finally recognized them. She didn't readily recognize her since she had been quite a bit older the last time they were together. The only words Regina could utter flew out from her mouth.

"Mom?" Regina asked, staring at the familiar face of her mother, ready to attack her.

. . .

September looked around the planet, at all that was occurring on it. He felt something odd toward those here who were being forced into this situation. It was an emotion he did not understand: pity.

September then walked through a Time Door, appearing after he caused it to from his small machine he carried in his hand. He programmed the Door to take him to the anomaly in that timeline's destiny- the Mythical Master. After crossing the Time Door, he found himself in the middle of space, watching the four Demons with the Orb of Doom heading toward a planet. He turned to see Mythical Master following them, cloaked from them. He was using the stolen Freelancer tech to do this. He rode upon his mechanical contraption to follow them.

The machine was a sort of podium: it was metal chrome, with wires all about it. Mythical Master stood atop a silver, round plate. Extending out from the plate was the contraption's stand, where all of Mythical Master's gadgets were attached as a base to his control panel. He looked like a floating composer, which is what in actuality he was trying to be.

September spoke into his small hand device. "This is September. The Jumper is not a disturbance to this timeline." September lied once again. This timeline was very important, and his superiors had kept him around longer than he had wanted to ensure his calculations were correct. He feared they would send another Watcher to check in on him, or a Freelancer. Then he knew not what he would do, because they would readily find out that he had been lying the whole time.

Going offline, September calculated the destiny of that timeline. He couldn't pinpoint any one possible future as being greater than another. So far, his plan was working. The introduction of Mythical Master to this universe was toppling over the plans of his organization. He hoped that would make those whom he called his friends happy, wherever they were.


	14. Part 3 - Chapter 7: Against All Odds

**Chapter Seven: Against All Odds**

Zordon stared in horror as the beings Amaradon Ranger called "Putties" ran forward to attack Robo Knight. Being already very weak and damaged from his prolonged battle with the dark ranger, Robo Knight found the squadron of clay beasts tougher than he normally would have.

"Ahh!" Robo Knight screamed as a Putty punched him in the chest, sending sparks flying. He clutched the spot where he was struck and dropped to a knee once again. He pulled out his blade and slashed three Putties that were around him. They flew backwards, but jumped back up to their feet.

"Putty Patrol: Initiate weapons..." Amaradon Ranger ordered. Robo Knight watched incredulously as the Putties' hands began mutating into weapons: blades, hammers, and what appeared to be small boulders were what replaced one of their hands on the putties' wrists.

The image suddenly changed. Zordon's attention was drawn to the Overlords of Earth. He saw Grizzaka holding a meeting.

"Why are you showing me this?" Zordon asked the Tribunal of Magic.

The Red Tribunal was the one to answer. "Because he, too, possesses Zocato power. He is working for the same being who gave Yoral his powers. Grizzaka is not as fine tuned as Yoral, but he, too, is a threat."

"We deemed it necessary for you to know. If he succeeds in helping Dai Shi, his master will coerce him to be his puppet and infect the Universal Magic Grid with Zocato power, leading to the destruction of Magic." The White Tribunal elaborated further.

"So get your act in gear, Zordon!" Black Tribunal yelled, pointing at Zordon with great animation. "Your inconsistency is driving me blinking mad!"

Zordon was shocked. He had been wondering who the mole within the Resistance had been. He would have never guessed the mole, or moles, were the Overlords.

Red Tribunal shook his head. "Please do not let Dai Shi get the Overlords into power. Grizzaka will lead them all with Zocato power and it will be the end of Magic as we know it!"

Zordon curled his old lips in anger. "What do you want me to do!? Huh? I couldn't even morph against Amaradon... I'm useless!"

Black Tribunal turned to his comrades. "See? I told you he didn't have the heart to continue!"

White Tribunal bowed her head. "Perhaps you were right..."

"Zordon, we cannot help you if you do not wish to help yourself..." Red Tribunal said.

And with that, Zordon found himself back at the base of the mountain that led up to the Ancient City. He was standing outside the ring of fire, where Robo Knight was hanging on by a thread as Amaradon toyed with him with the putties.

 _What do I do!?_ Zordon thought angrily, clenching a fist. He felt lost as he heard Robo Knight cry out as he was bombarded from all sides by Putties.

. . .

Bio Mech Silver plopped the unconscious Bio Mech Rangers at Deviot's feet. Electric sparks could be seen flying from off of his suit. He clutched his left arm and screamed out in pain.

Deviot nodded. "I applaud your loyalty, Silver. You have risked your life in bringing back the rest of the team. Go to the other side of the lab and wait for me. I'll start the process to fix you soon."

The Silver Ranger nodded, sparks flying off his suit. "...Thank you, my master..." He then limped over to the designated spot.

Deviot looked at the rangers on the ground. He shook his head in disappointment. "First the Psycho Rangers, now this. How did I screw up this tech? It seemed to work when Zen Aku had it. This is so frustrating!"

Suddenly, Diabolico appeared in his lab. Deviot turned and bowed to him. "Is there something I can do for you, Diabolico?"

"The Queen wants to see you immediately." Diabolico said, teleporting out of the room.

Deviot sighed. He placed a patch on each of the Bio Mech Rangers' arms, keeping them pinned to the location where they were, in case they awoke. He then walked over to Bio Mech Silver and placed a rod into his right arm. The rod had wiring attached to it, connecting Bio Mech Silver to a large computer.

"And this will restore me?" Bio Mech Silver asked.

Deviot nodded. "Yes, but it will take some time. I'm going to put you into hibernation while you recharge."

Bio Mech Silver nodded. Slowly, his vision faded to black as his master put him into "sleep mode". Deviot then pushed a button on his remote device and teleported himself to Bansheera's main room.

Once before her on her throne, he bowed. "My Queen?"

Bansheera zapped him with a bolt of Black Energy. She then stood from her throne and walked down to him as he was writhing in pain. "Your rangers failed horribly! I thought you said it was a guarantee!"

"I'm sorry... My Queen! I... I underestimated Dark Specter's newest weapon!" Deviot said, black electricity dancing on his person.

"Then you and your lab are useless! Vypra!" Bansheera yelled.

Vypra appeared before The Queen, walking in from the shadows. She wore a wide eyed expression. "Yes, my queen? I am _here_ to do aaalllll your bidding!"

"...Right..." She said, eyeing Vypra with irritation. "Anyway, I need you to go down and destroy Deviot's laboratory."

"Wait! Wait, my Queen! Have you forgotten my other project? You need it! You need _me_ to get it set up!" Deviot implored. He crawled to her feet and began kissing them.

Bansheera squinted. "What other project? I'm leading an empire here, I can't possibly keep track of every little thing. This better be good."

"Oh, but it is, my queen! Remember my plans for the _other_ Bio Mech Ranger? The one to use against Zordon?" Deviot said, hoping she would remember.

A smile slowly appeared on her face. "Oh, yes... _Him_... How _devious_! How delicious! I _love_ it! Deviot!? You have one more chance." She kicked him in the head, sending him flying onto his back. "You're dismissed."

"My Queen? Do you _still_ wish for me to _attack_ Deviot's laboratory?" Vypra asked.

Bansheera stared at her in amazement. "Did you not _just_ hear what I said? NO! Leave now!"

"Thank you, my Queen! You won't regret this!" Deviot said, teleporting away.

"I'd better not. Vypra!? Why are you still here!?" Bansheera yelled.

Vypra, for the first time, heard Bansheera say this. "Oh, right... I _apologize_ my Queen..."

Bansheera looked at her in confusion. "You _still_ are having problems learning to control that host, aren't you?"

Vypra snapped back into attention. "Oh, yes... Umm... No, my Queen. I'm fine!" She then turned and marched out of the room.

In her mind, however, her centuries long war with her host continued. Vypra had been unable to fully force her host into submission, and had been too afraid to let anyone know, for fear she would be rejected by Bansheera. Fighting her host was becoming harder and harder, because the longer the host stayed conscious, the more the host was able to learn to gain control again, and also learn Vypra's weak points.

You can't beat me, Vypra! Ayame Ubi cried out. In her mind, she was decked from head to toe in Alliance Armor. Her blaster was in her hand as she walked through a desert, a symbol of the barren wasteland the war against the Demon had made of her brain.

Then why am I in control...? Vypra said, laughing as she defiantly appeared before Ayame Ubi in her Demon form. The tall Demon laughed and blasted Vypra, sending her flying. She quickly rolled and hid behind a boulder. She counted quickly to three and turned around, sending a laser beam straight to Vypra's head.

Ahhh! Vypra yelled, disappearing. Outside of Vypra's mind, her body twitched oddily as the Demon's Spirit was injured, sending odd action potentials rushing throughout the body.

Ayame Ubi tried to take control of her body, but realized she hadn't damaged Vypra enough. She grunted in frustration.

Nice try, Human. You haven't defeated me yet! Vypra chanted. Her voice echoed through the entire landscape, like thunder.

Come out and fight me! Ayame Ubi screamed into the sky. After a few minutes with no reply, she tossed her weapon down in anger. She had lost her again.

 _But I won't stop hunting..._ Ayame Ubi said. _No matter where in_ _my_ _brain you hide, I will find you. And when I do, I promise you I will beat you!_

. . .

Gaia Green landed a few feet away from Darkonda and Ecliptor. Before they could see him, he rolled and hid behind a large pipe. He could hear them addressing Dark Specter.

"We were unable to defeat the intruders, your majesty." Ecliptor reported. "They were Power Rangers. Another set of six Rangers appeared and began fighting each other. We were lucky to flee with our lives."

Dark Specter backhanded him across the face, sending him to his back. "I don't care if you escaped with your life. You allowed them to stay on _my_ Dark Fortress. Do _not_ make that mistake again. _Both_ of you..." Dark Specter said, turning to look at Darkonda as well.

"...But, there is no need to fear. Six of them appear to have lost the fight. I could feel that five of them lost consciousness here on the ship, and the sixth teleported himself and the others away with him. Four of them are heading this way... I feel them and their tap to the Morphing Grid... They will be here soon..." Dark Specter told his generals.

Darkonda cocked his head to the side. "But, my emperor, there were eleven of them. Where's the fifth ranger that stayed behind?"

Dark Specter laughed. "Right behind you." He pointed a massive arm at the pipe and blew it up, sending Gaia Green flying through the air. He slammed into a wall, falling down promptly afterward.

Both Ecliptor and Darkonda drew their weapons. Ecliptor clenched his fist. "No one makes a fool of me!"

Darkonda pointed at Gaia Green with his blade. "Prepare to meet your end..."

Dark Specter stepped forward, pushing both generals to the side. The Demons in the room with them stared in disbelief. Dark Specter pointed again at Gaia Green and said, "Leave him to me. He will rue the day he decided to go one on one against Dark Specter..."

Gaia Green swallowed hard. _Nice going,_ _Doc_ _!_ He thought to himself. _You got yourself separated from the others, and now you're up against the strongest Demon in the universe!_

He rolled away just in time as an orb of Black Energy mixed with Dark Magic flew at him. He jumped to his feet and called for his weapon. "Dolphin Grenade Launcher!" He pulled out a Power Card and placed it onto the slot in the weapon.

 _I hope what_ _Castiel_ _told us was true..._ Gaia Green thought. He pointed the weapon and fired. A giant blast of Green Morphing Energy and White Energy flowed out from the weapon, hitting Dark Specter with great force. The splash from the blast injured many of the other Demons in the room, including Darkonda and Ecliptor.

Dark Specter fell to a knee, shocked. "What kind of power was that!?"

Gaia Green laughed. "The kind that can actually hurt you!"

 _Am_ _I_ _going to defeat Dark Specter_ _myself_ _!?_ Gaia Green thought to himself excitedly. He began straightening the crease lines on his suit with his free hand as he thought about the possibility.

He quickly stopped as he saw Dark Specter stand up, growing about a foot taller than he was before. "...No one knows my _true_ potential... Are you sure you wish to take me on, puny ranger?"

Gaia Green swallowed hard.

Darkonda stood up and laughed. "Dark Specter is the most powerful Demon alive. How dare you think you could just walk in here and take him on! There is no one in the universe, let alone in this _room_ , who has the power to destroy Dark Specter!"

Dark Specter laughed. "It's time to meet your end, Power Ranger." He then lifted up both hands and began charging two orbs of power, full of Dark Magic and Black Energy.

. . .

Lord Zedd stood up from his throne. He had been observing the happenings on Earth and he liked what he had been seeing. Rita failed her mission, which was good for him because with every failure she had, it gave him something with which he could hold over her head and use to fuel the Rage her staff caused her to have.

The newest ranger team, Beast Watch, had more than their share of difficulties with what appeared to be juiced Rin Shi. This made Zedd content, because not only were the Rin Shi keeping the newest team of rangers occupied, but it also caused a part of Dai Shi's army to be focused on something, ensuring they stayed out of Zedd's way.

What intrigued him the most was the Amaradon Ranger re-emerging. He didn't remember much from when he lost control of his body to Commander Zedd, but he did remember a little about fighting with Team Victory as the Silver Zeo Ranger. He remembered, sitting dormant in Zedd's brain, the power he had felt from both Zordon and Yoral. To see that Black Ranger back in action, and with such power, gave him an idea. He focused on his Z Staff. Lightning crackled around him as he teleported himself to Earth.

. . .

Carnisoar looked at Grizzaka. "And your mentor, the Ghost of Darkness, says it is time now... just like that? Seems suspicious..."

The other Overlord, Jellica, who was master of the seas, nodded. "We have been feeding information to Dai Shi for centuries, weakening the Order of the Claw but never delivering the killing blow, and all of a sudden _now_ we are ready to attack? What's changed!?"

"Me. _That's_ what's changed. I now am ready to wield the Zocato power against the enemies of our planet!" Grizzaka declared. A burst of Zocato power pulsated from him.

Carnisoar nodded. "I see... I can _feel_ this power... You truly are more powerful than before."

"And with this power, we will reclaim the Earth as our own!" Grizzaka yelled. He laughed as he began to glow in the light of his Zocato power.

. . .

Saba looked up at Black Lion, the king of the Animal Realm. "I saw what your son did, Black Lion. _Lionel_ was the one in the wrong. He completely overreacted and-"

"No! He was following _my_ orders." Black Lion roared. "Leon is to stay in the back line, if he _at all_ is to fight. I still don't understand why Commander Faor wants him as a part of his platoon..."

Saba sighed. Ever since he had been integrated into the Animal Realm's forces, he had been trying to stay out of the complicated relationship of what everyone called "the royal family". He feared his time of nonintervention was reaching its end.

"Leon is an amazing fighter. He could even be better than Lionel..." Saba said.

Black Lion snarled and turned his back. "Potential has nothing to do with actuality. He is a rebel and a danger to the forces." He then leapt up and away to join the other four animals who comprised of the Elite Squad on the other side of the mountain top. They needed to plan for the next battle and refortify the defenses to the artifacts housed in the Ancient City.

Saba lowered his head. _I miss you Zordon..._ He closed his eyes and remembered the times when the two were nearly inseparable. He had wondered when that had changed, and his mind wandered to the moment when Zordon had seen Orion outside their dorm room. Saba knew that moment was when everything had changed. It had been at that moment, when Zordon was integrated in as a Morphing Master, that the wedge in their relationship had been created.

 _I will act..._ _not_ _be acted upon... I will_ _not_ _allow everything else around me to stop me from doing what I feel is right... Just like how Leon isn't allowing his father to hold him back anymore..._ Saba thought. He focused, hoping to re-establish his connection to his old friend, Zordon. He was surprised to find Zordon's energy signature rather quickly. He was a mere mile away, just down from his location near the Ancient City.

"Hmm..." Saba thought aloud. "Maybe fate _does_ want us together..." Saba said, leaping down to meet his friend.

Watching this, the Tribunal of Magic nodded. Red Tribunal looked to his fellow guardians of Magic and said, "Good thinking. Whispering Zordon's name into his ear was just the thing..."

White Tribunal laughed. "Sometimes people just need a little nudge in the right direction. In the end, it was still his choice to follow the soft whisper or not."

Black Tribunal folded his arms across his chest. "I just hope we aren't wasting our resources on him."

Red Tribunal laughed. "He's definitely the one. His sudden appearance as a child... His disappearance and subsequent mysterious re-emergence after being hit by the Orb of Doom... We picked the right man. He is one of us."

. . .

"Now..." Ninjor said, waving his arms in the air. "Let's see what you look like demorphed."

Trinity suddenly looked down, seeing she was no longer morphed. "Wha-?"

"I am the guardian over the sector of the Morphing Grid dealing with martial arts!" Ninjor declared happily.

"I don't understand..." Trinity said.

"Well, are you a Morphing Master? Or a member of The Top?" Ninjor asked.

Trinity shook her head. "No. The Morphing Masters were disbanded and almost completely destroyed almost two thousand years ago."

Trinity could see Ninjor's shoulders slump. "...No... So, Sentinel Knight is no more?"

Trinity shook her head. "No, he still lives. We just have _no_ idea where he is. He hides, protecting the-"

" Corona Aurora. I know, I know..." Ninjor said, nodding slowly. "I was there when that whole thing happened. I will tell you one thing: There is no finer a person than Sentinel Knight to guard that crown. He is a good man. As I feel you are... Good, that is. Not a man. Unless you are-?"

Trinity couldn't help but giggle. She put her hand up to her face, as if to stifle the laugh. There was something likable about this apparently powerful figure before her. "No, you were right the first time. I'm a woman."

"And also a defender of the right, carrying on the legacy of the Alpha Hunter!" Ninjor declared. He then turned and picked up a box. He carried it over to Trinity and opened it. Five shiny coins could be seen in them. The emblems of different animals could be seen on them.

Trinity's eyes widened. "Those are just like Burai's coin!"

Ninjor was taken aback. "The Dragon Coin!? That was my first coin! I lost it eons ago! Do you have it? Who is this 'Burai'?"

Trinity looked down. "We had it up until a few days ago. The forces of evil now have it."

"Well... Do they have ATTITUDE? The forces of evil?" Ninjor asked.

"Uh... They're kind of rotten, if that's what you mean." Trinity replied.

"No... ATTITUDE! You know? The acronym? You're a Power Ranger. You are also following in the steps of the Martial Artist subset of the Masters, so you should be aware of ATTITUDE." Ninjor said.

Trinity shook her head. "I've never heard of it, and I've been training with them for two thousand years now. I'm one of the head instructors."

Ninjor bowed. "Then you _are_ a Morphing Master."

Trinity looked at him, shocked. "Huh? How? No one has ever said that."

"Hmm... It seems as if many of the teachings have been lost over the past million years. That's understandable, I guess. Sentinel Knight and I specifically decided to keep the Order of the Claw and Order of the Elements separated from the main set of Morphing Masters, so that others wouldn't find the evil artifacts and villains trapped in the Ancient City. Well, just to let you know... the process of becoming a main instructor for the Order of the Elements automatically makes you a Morphing Master. Are they not fifteen instructors?"

Trinity nodded.

"...Just like there are... _were_... fifteen Morphing Masters?" Ninjor continued.

Trinity nodded again. A feeling of empowerment flooded through her.

Ninjor laughed. " _So_... Master Trinity... tell me everything you know. I have been out of the loop for a very, _very_ long time."

. . .

Beast Blue ran as hard as she could, trying to escape Naja of the Five Fingers of Poison. The Blue Ranger jumped into the air... and kept going. "Huh?" She cried out, stopping midair. She floated, looking down at her team.

Beast Black pushed Gakko away from him. "Lar... You're flying!?"

Beast Green leapt up, trying to imitate her. He was pleased to see it was working. "Hahaha! Yes! It must be another effect of the sun here! We can fly!"

Beast Red nodded. He focused and quickly zoomed up into the air, not changing the stance he had been in when he had been grounded. "Everyone come to me now. We can use this to our advantage."

Beast Yellow floated up to him. "I'm assuming Beast Sync Formation?"

Beast Red nodded as the five were together. "Correct. But from here. Everyone!? _Aerial_ Beast Sync Formation!"

The five Beast Watch Rangers assumed the formation. Their Animal Spirits began syncing with each other. "Attack!"

They flew down from the air, smashing like a meteor into Stingerella. From the fireball they had become, the five Beast Watch Rangers jumped out of the site of impact. They turned to watch Stingerella, energy crackling around her.

Rantipede reached out. "Stingerella! No!"

"You'll pay for this!" Stingerella warned, falling down and exploding.

"One down, four to go..." Beast Blue said, turning to the other enhanced Rin Shi.

Naja laughed and ran to Stingerella's explosion spot. "This isn't over yet, Power Rangers. You see, The Master has entrusted me with a special power! Feel the power of the Talons of the Master!"

The five rangers watched as Naja pulled one of his ten talons off of his hands. The talons that had come directly off of Octomus. Talons to which he had bestowed the powers of necromancy. They watched in shock as the talon disappeared, bringing Stingerella back to life.

Beast Red got into a fighting stance. "Guys... It looks like we may be in for a long battle..."

. . .

Robo Knight fell to his knees. He knew he wasn't going to get up again.

Amaradon laughed. "Putty Patrol: Stand down. I want to deal the final blow..."

As he began to walk toward the fallen knight, a crackle of lightning could be heard throughout the land. Suddenly, Lord Zedd stood before the Amaradon Ranger.

Amaradon laughed. "Lord Zedd... Or is it Commander Zedd? Which of you two is in control today?"

Lord Zedd cackled. "It is I, _Lord_ Zedd. Trust me: Commander Zedd is long gone."

Amaradon then shrugged, putting his arms up into the air. "Okay, muscle man... What is it you want? I'm kinda in the middle of something here..."

"Yes, I see. You're picking on that metal tin can. How's about you set your sights on something more grand? Join me and I will help your power reach the next level!" Lord Zedd offered.

"There _is_ no next level. I'm the strongest being in the universe. I don't need your help." Amaradon stated simply, folding his arms.

Zedd laughed. "I wouldn't be too sure of that. Dark Specter is a fairly powerful being. I'd love to see you take _him_ on."

"Never heard of him. Don't care. Now stand aside." Amaradon said, waving him away.

Zedd pointed his staff and shot a blast at Amaradon. With arrogance, Amaradon simply put his hand up to absorb the blast. Instead, he found the blast pushing him back. He then focused with all the Zocato power he could, barely staying standing. When the blast exploded. Amaradon was thrown back. Even though he was able to find his balance again in midair, landing on his feet, he was angered by the fact Zedd had such power.

He stood up and looked at him. _The Ghost of Darkness said I was ready and I had attained the pinnacle of power, but... Zedd was powerful enough to catch me off guard. Maybe he is the one to get me to the next level, like he said..._

The Ghost of Darkness, feeling Amaradon Ranger's thoughts by way of the serum that had been pumped into him for two thousand years, along with what had been placed in him by his wand, laughed to himself from the Underground Temple.

 _Perfect... Go out and spread my seeds, my child! Ah-hahaha!_ The Ghost of Darkness thought, pleased with how well his plan was taking effect.

Amardon laughed. "Okay, skeleton boy, I'll take you up on your offer. If I don't see anything I want from you, though, I'm bowing out."

Zedd bowed, opening up the way to Robo Knight, who was still on the ground as the Putties continued to dance around him. Amaradon Ranger then began walking slowly to Robo Knight, ready to destroy him.

While this had been occurring, Zordon had been trying to morph without success. He could feel tears streaming down his face from his own frustration.

"Ancient source: Meledon force!" He cried out feebly for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Having trouble, old friend?" Saba said, running up to Zordon.

Zordon smiled. "Glad to see you again. You picked a good time to show up." He wiped the tears from off his face.

Saba frowned, seeing the state his friend was in. "I'm sorry... The war has taken me to where I was needed..."

Zordon nodded. "We've all made decisions we may regret, Saba..."

Saba then smiled. "It's never too late to change, though. We can still choose to be who we want to be."

Zordon looked at himself. "Sorry, but... look at me. It _is_ too late..."

Saba began to glow. "Have you forgotten about our connection?"

Zordon looked at him. "But it's been so long..."

Saba looked into the fire. He could see Robo Knight on the ground. He then saw Lord Zedd begin to bow, inviting Amaradon Ranger to strike Robo Knight down. "Did you know Lord Zedd is in that fire ring?"

Zordon's eyes widened. "What!? Zedd..." He sneered. Both Yoral and Zedd, standing together about to attack the most loyal knight Zordon had ever known. Too many symbols of Zordon's failures together in one spot for him to sift through and analyze each of them.

"You ready?" Saba asked.

"More than ever." Zordon said. He closed his eyes and focused. His red saber appeared in his right hand. It had been a long time since he had used it. With Saba's proximity to it, he could feel it reenergizing with Saba's Animal Spirit.

He opened his eyes. For the first time in centuries, he had also tapped into the White Energy that he was naturally connected to. His eyes glowed with a white brilliance.

"Ancient Source: Meledon Force."

Amaradon Ranger stood over Robo Knight. "You're a good soldier, Robo Knight. Maybe after I destroy you, I'll rebuild you to be my sidekick. I have a feeling you'd make for a _great_ villain."

Amaradon Ranger lifted his arms into the sky. "Zocato po-"

Before he could finish, he felt something powerful hit him in the chest. He fell to his back. Like Zordon had been having nightmares about Amaradon Ranger, he, too, had been having his own nightmares. It was now his turn to see them come to life.

He was different this time, though. A new energy flowed through him, completely integrated into his Morphing Grid tap and not just a separate power. Just like how Burai's Dragon Animal Spirit had eventually melded with the Green Ranger's tap to the Morphing Grid, Zordon's artificial Animal Spirit, Saba's Spirit, had become one with the Nathadian Magic that had allowed Zordon access to the Morphing Grid.

"With the Spirit of the Red Tiger: Meledon Ranger!" Meledon shouted. He shot a blast of Nathadian Magic at Amaradon Ranger as he climbed to his feet. He fell back down.

From off his back, Amaradon threw his legs out and his back up, landing on his feet. He rushed to Meledon Ranger and began swinging his fists to punch him. He was moving faster than the eye could normally see. Meledon Ranger was able to block each punch.

He then grabbed Amaradon Ranger by each wrist, pinning his arms down. He pulled Amaradon Ranger close up to him, staring at him helmet to helmet.

"Who do you think you are!? _Who_ do you think you are!?" Amaradon Ranger spat at Meledon, Zocato power emanating all around the evil ranger. He couldn't believe the arrogance Meledon had, defying him at the peak of his power.

"I'm Zordon." He then headbutted him, letting go of Amaradon's wrists. As Amaradon fell to the ground, Meledon Ranger pointed at Lord Zedd. "You're next."

"Let us go, Black Ranger. Now!" Lord Zedd said. Amaradon Ranger scrambled to his feet and, although it hurt his pride, joined Lord Zedd.

"Putties: Come to me!" Amaradon shouted. They ran to Amaradon Ranger. Then Lord Zedd teleported them all back up to the Moon Palace.

"Meledon Conversion: Ice!" Meledon Ranger shouted. He then shot ice beams out of his red saber, eliminating the fire nearby. He walked over to Robo Knight as Saba ran in as well.

Lifting up Robo Knight, he looked at him. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. Thank you for saving me. By the way: I always thought you looked good in red." Robo Knight said.

"Let's get back to the base, Saba. Heh... Gosei will never believe this..." Meledon said, flipping open a panel on Robo Knight's arm, pushing a button on it. As the portal to their base appeared, Saba and Meledon Ranger, carrying Robo Knight, stepped through.

. . .

Three Freelancers walked onto the scene behind December. One, a man with blond, short spikey hair, stepped forward and looked into his wrist tech. The other two, a woman with long red hair and a man with a shaved head, flanked December on each side.

The man looking into his wrist tech nodded. "Okay, the area is in lockdown. The Rogue is not going to get away. Olivia? Are you okay?"

She nodded, staring September down. "Yes, I'm fine, Link. It wasn't too big of a jump."

"Okay, then." Link said. "Charlie... Lead the way."

Charlie smiled. "Okay. September: You are under arrest. You are charged with mutiny, illegal jumping, threatening the very fabric of space/time, and for breaking out of prison." He then pointed a blaster at September.

September furrowed his brow. He didn't like looking at Olivia. It made it all feel wrong. "This is not right. I am trying to _help_."

Link rolled his eyes. "Sheesh. This guy is really malfunctioning. Okay..." Fire erupted from Link's hands. He shot several fireballs at September.

September narrowly missed the flames by leaping out of the way. In the nick of time, he caught a bullet that Olivia had sent at him from her gun. Both she and Charlie shot at him, and with lightning speed he caught each bullet with a swipe of both hands, tossing the bullets to the ground as he went.

Link walked up to December. "What the heck, man!? He's going up against _two_ shooters. I've never seen any of you guys move that fast. What. The. Heck?"

December nodded. "He is... different. That is probably attributing to his malfunction. A shame..."

Charlie began loading another clip. "Well, don't just stand there: help!"

December nodded, walking briskly to September. He swung his fist, getting blocked by September. As he did this, however, Link hit him with two more fireballs, sending September flying back. He saw his clothes had caught fire and began rolling in the sand and dirt as he landed. He then suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down to see blood coming out of where his sternum was.

"Nice shot." Charlie said to Olivia, patting her on the back.

She nodded. "I made sure not to destroy him. Now, let's collect him."

Link shook his head. "I hate having to deal with this stuff. Well, at least it's over..."

September's head was swimming. He had to focus a little bit more than usual. While losing consciousness, he picked up a rock and threw it. It went according to his calculations: it hit Olivia's gun hard enough to force her to drop it; the rock bounced off the gun and hit Charlie in the face; September predicted Charlie's psych enough to predict he would flinch, causing a gunshot; he predicted from the angle Charlie had been standing and his angle of walking, with the speed at which he had been walking, that he would move his arm in the direction of December; the bullet hit December in the back of the knee; then, as September predicted, Link ran to pick up December as he hit the ground.

September then rolled down the side of the mountain they were on. He predicted he would break many bones, and knew he had a five percent chance of survival. He hoped he could get far enough away from the Freelancer's barrier to teleport out.

"No! The Rogue!" Olivia yelled, bending over to pick up her gun. She rolled as she did, getting back to a knee and firing. By the time she did, September was already gone. She frowned.

December shook his head. "He has only a five percent chance of surviving a fall like that, with that wound to his chest. Even if he survives, he won't be getting far..."

Link looked to Olivia. "Extend the barrier as far as you can. I don't want him slipping away."

Olivia nodded and began focusing. Her head was burning as she extended the Time Barrier further out. She could only hope it was far enough.

As September rolled down the hill, he felt something odd envelop him. He couldn't see straight, from the loss of blood and the damage he sustained from falling. He felt that he was suddenly no longer rolling down the hill, but lying on a floor somewhere. He could feel people around him, but he couldn't make out their appearance.

Future: Omega Ranger was already using his Third Eye ability to see the Watchers and Freelancers in action. Something was odd about the place September was in, however: he could only see anything there because September was there, and he could only see it through September's eyes. No matter how hard he focused, Omega couldn't get his power to see past to what was _actually_ going on.

September heard a female voice speaking. "How is he?"

A male voice could be heard. "He'll be fine. His cells are already healing himself. Did you get out the bullet?"

A different female voice answered. "Yes, it's out."

A second male voice could be heard. "I have just set the coordinate on the beacon. It will send him to a different spot. The mission he has taken upon himself will be completed."

Yet a third male voice piped in. "Why don't we keep him here with us? We all know we need all the help we can get."

The first male voice spoke again. "He can do things we can't. We'll just slow him down. We'll let him do his thing while we do ours."

The first female's voice could be heard by September again. "Okay, then. I just hope he stays safe. We won't be there for him always..." September then felt a kiss on his forehead. "Goodbye and good luck."

As he felt the all too familiar feeling of a Time Door envelop him, he felt himself outdoors somewhere. He smiled. He didn't need sight to know who had saved him. They were his friends, and he was happy to hear they were still alive, fighting like him for the free will of all living beings.


	15. Part 0 - Chapter 8: The Grids

**Chapter Eight: The Grids**

Killian stared at Paige and her sisters in shock. He turned to Regina. "...You're right... It _is_ her, but the pictures I saw of her when she was young! I don't recognize the others, though..."

Regina nodded. "I don't know them, either, but she's just like I remember when I was young..."

Paige looked at them in confusion. "What are you talking about!? Do you believe this, girls? She thinks I'm her _mom_!? I don't know whether to laugh at her or get upset. I don't _look_ old enough to be her mom, do I?"

Piper frowned. "She _is_ an odd one, isn't she?"

Regina curled up her lip in anger. "What kind of trick is this, _Cora_!? What are you planning!?"

Paige stared at her, incredulously. "I have no idea what you are talking about. Are you mentally ill?"

Regina, in anger, shot a blast of Nathadian Magic at Paige. Paige focused a shield of Dark Magic, which barely protected her. She stuck out her lower lip and nodded, approvingly. "Well, if you _were_ my daughter, I'd have to say I would be very proud of your talent."

"I hate you!" Regina screamed. "Why are you always ruining my life!?"

Prue folded her arms. "Listen, sister. You need help. There is obviously something broken inside you. We four are sisters, and we have never seen you before. Now are you going to fight or what?"

"Oh, I'm going to fight all right." Regina said, sending more Nathadian Magic at Paige. Paige leapt out of the way, flying through the air toward Regina.

Killian stared, pensively. _How is this possible? I saw_ _Rumple_ _destroy that hag... And why is she young again? She didn't have access to_ _David's_ _technology, and that was all destroyed with everything else. How did she get_ _here_ _, too? And these people seem to be intimate with her... What in the devil is going on!?_

Paige shot multiple volleys of Dark Magic at Regina while in midair. Also in midair, Regina was able to either dodge or block each shot, to Paige's surprise. _How have I never heard of this Witch before!? I've never come across such power!_

Regina soared at Paige. She cocked her arm back, releasing with all her might. Instead of punching her, she opened up her fist and slapped her. She did so repeatedly. A shockwave of Dark Magic erupted from Paige, sending Regina flying back. She corrected herself midair and landed on her feet, a few yards away. Paige carefully landed, feeling her cheek. It was red and hot to the touch. Her ego, though, was more damaged than her face.

"You _slapped_ me!? What's your deal, hag?!" Paige demanded.

"You know what you've done, Cora! Stop playing games with me!" Regina screamed, shooting her own Dark Magic at Paige. The ground erupted around her.

"Stop calling me Cora! My name is Paige and I don't know who you are!" Paige screamed in frustration. She was very confused.

Phoebe sneered. "What in the blazes are you doing, Paige!? Finish her!"

Paige then closed her eyes. When she opened them, they were black as night. "Dark Ultima..."

Regina stared in shock. She recognized the name of the spell. She remembered how it had shot what she correctly guessed was the spell caster's own Lifestream at a target. She was surprised, though, to see Paige's Lifestream bond with the essence of the Universal Magic Grid, and that of the dark portion. Such a technique was beyond the realm of comprehension for Regina: the notion to bond with the Universal Magic Grid had never been an inkling of thought to her, or any of the Witches she knew. This was new terrain, and because she was the target of the powerful spell, she was fearful.

The wave of Dark Lifestream spewed out from every one of Paige's pores. A visible symbol of Paige's superiority to her sisters, she didn't seem to be fatigued in the least, whereas when Prue had cast the weaker Ultima spell, it had completely drained her. All Paige did was smile in content. She didn't want to use so much of her Magic Power, or MP, in one shot, but she felt with how powerful Regina seemed to be, she had no choice.

Regina tried casting a Nathadian Magic Shell, but she could feel the power of the Dark Ultima wave was too much for her, severing her connection to the dark portion of the Universal Magic Grid. Unfortunately for her, that was the only portion which she knew how to tap, and inherently all of her Magic, even her Nathadian spells, were unusable. She closed her eyes and awaited the inevitable.

"I. Don't. Think. So." Rumple said, landing in front of Regina. He turned to her and winked. "And now we're even." He shot a wave of Light Magic at the Ultima spell, holding it back. His eyes then turned white.

"Light Ultima." He said, grunting as he held the waves back from Paige's spell.

Paige stared in shock as the Ultima from the other side of the spectrum of the Magic Grid poured at seemingly effortlessly from Rumple, who to her was an unknown Magician. She had never heard of anyone who had been allowed since the Great Magic War to develop such a strong tie to the brighter spectrum of the Magic Grid, after the Witches and Warlocks had won. It completely obliterated her spell.

Rumple then began walking forward. "I don't know how, Cora, you survived, but let me tell you for one that I'm _glad_. That's one less sin I need to atone for, knowing I didn't end up destroying you like I thought."

Paige stared. "I... I don't know you..." Her three sisters huddled around her, more frightened than she was.

Rumple sneered again. "I don't know what your game is, Cora, but just stay out of my way. If I do end up facing you again, I won't hold back. I have no qualms in destroying you in self defense. Understood?"

Phoebe stepped forward. "How dare you interfere in a one on one battle." She then pointed at Killian in the Magical Cage. "This is for the one in the Cage of Engagement!"

Rumple laughed and shook his head. "Interesting... Why are you spending time with Witches who believe in such archaic rituals, Cora? It's been eons since our people participated in the one on ones." He then waved his hand and Killian was suddenly standing next to Regina.

"Impossible! No one can break that bond!" Prue screamed.

Paige lifted up a hand. "We are dealing with things that are over our heads, sisters. We need to regroup and figure things out." She snapped her fingers and she and her sisters were gone.

"Thank you, Rumple, I-"

"Tut-tut. No thanks needed. I owed you, and now I don't. It was simple, deary." He then walked up to her and stuck his finger in her face. "But don't let this help you forget that I still blame you for Henry. The next time we meet, I'm going to snap your neck. And you." Rumple said, turning to Killian. "You are in way over your head, pirate. And, yes: I know _exactly_ who you are."

Killian swallowed hard. "What does that mean?"

Rumple then snapped his fingers. His skin was covered in a fine, gold scaled armor that was highly flexible. He threw his hands up into the air in a jester-like way. "Recognize me?"

Killian took three steps back, in terror. "The Dark One!? I... I didn't know when it happened! I swear! She was the one who came to me! I promise!"

He curled his lips. Then his face softened as he laughed. "I don't care! Haha! You took her from me and you _will_ pay! Ah-haha! It's a shame you were caught up with her, and now _this_ hag!"

Regina narrowed her eyes. "How would your son feel if he saw you like this now, Rumple?"

The Dark One gave her a look of disgust. He then snapped his fingers and turned back into Rumple. "It was just meant to serve as a warning... to _both_ of you. I may be working for the good guys, but I don't forgive and forget as easily as they do. Let's just say that I share many qualities with someone else looking for you... my daughter-in-law."

Regina's heart stopped. "Emma? She is here? She made it through, as well?"

Rumple lowered his eyes, darkening them as he stared at Regina. "Oh, yes, deary. And the two of us are not alone. You and Lothor are big targets on my group's 'to do' list. And remember: I can track Nathadian Magic _and_ Zocato power, so know that every time you use it, I'll know. Then I'll know _exactly_ where you are. Then you'll have to sit and wonder... who will come visit you? Me? Emma? David? _Mary_?"

Regina's heart was in her throat. So many of those whom she had betrayed. They were all here, in this new place, wanting to get their revenge. She swallowed hard, as if to lower her heart back into place.

Rumple smiled. "Or perhaps even... The Dark One himself? Who knows? I guess you will, once it happens. Be wary, dearies. I'm coming for you." And with that, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Oh, now what!?" Killian screamed, throwing his arms into the air. "I have the Dark One on my tail, _again_ , and the rest of the blinking royal family. I thought you said we escaped that!"

Regina nodded. "You're right. This isn't good. _But_... It seems Rumple is still bonded with the Dark One, and if that is true, well... Let's just say I know exactly how to deal with him." She then laughed, seeing the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. She was sure she would become the queen of the universe now, seeing as she planned on taking the powers of the Dark One for herself.

. . .

Lothor could feel Rumple. Sweat dripped down his face. Had his facepaint not been tattooed onto his face, it would have surely washed off. He was very nervous.

He looked over the schematics for his grand plan. The ones he stole from the scientist, when he took the plan for ultimate power for himself. He could see each part of the plan, and hoped he could implement it before Rumple interfered. He hadn't planned on Rumple following him here.

He looked at the schematic. He looked at another paper, describing his current environment. He compared it to the schematics' description of the ideal place, and knew he had picked well. Where he was had the perfect blend of the Morphing Grid, Magic Grid, and Emotional Light Grid. It also had another power he was not familiar with: The Universal Dino Energy. He planned on harnessing that, as well. The grids were the key to everything.

He frowned as his eyes stopped on the little excerpt in the document that, time after time, he could not understand. It said: "At the end of time, where the collisions begin and end, Omega will fight. Omega will fight for the end of all creation; Omega will fight for the preservation of life; Those who side with Omega will gain great power. The choices of all involved will decide which future will survive - the sum of the individuals creates the final future. Choose wisely." It was then signed with a single name, as if to say that was the author: Joe.

 _What is Omega? It's the only thing I didn't learn from the good doctor... I hope I can figure it out before it's too late..._ Lothor thought to himself. He then walked to the trunk in his tent. He opened it and looked at the Savage Sword, sitting amidst the other artifacts. He moved the Crystal of Nightmares over to the side so he could lift the sword up. He knew the Savage Sword had something to do with the Omega the scientist had told him about, but he knew not what it meant. He did know that the Savage Sword was a vital piece, though.

He swung the sword. He knew its purpose, but was still surprised that it didn't feel any different from a normal sword. He placed it back into the chest and closed it. He laughed to himself. He knew that soon he would become the God of Magic.

. . .

"So, what _is_ a Demon?" Vexacus asked. He had only heard of them during the Holy War, and knew that they had been the key players against the Ethereals, but he knew not from where they came.

Shimazu laughed. "We are a mystery. Even to me, really. I'm not sure what I am now. I seem to have the ability to shift from a Spirit plane to this one, changing my composition as well. I know there are some things that have the power to destroy me, outside of highly concentrated power hitting me directly, but I don't recall if I ever encountered any of these things. I think I have an aversion to salt, as well."

"Salt!?" Vexacus asked. "Hmm... You Demons are an odd lot."

Shimazu nodded. "I must agree, but... we are also very resourceful. As you can see, the Ethereals have not managed to destroy us."

"Which is why my alliance with you will be all the more powerful. We will crush Lothor, and Mesogog and his assistant Dracul. Then, you can have your planet back, and I will have my revenge."

"So, how are we to go about performing such a task? I may be powerful, but I am only one. Lothor has seventeen others flanking him, not counting Mesogog's massive army. Dracul in and of himself may be powerful enough to land a destroying blow on a Demon." Shimazu pointed out.

Vexacus nodded. "And we also have to deal with Lije of the Dawn. She is a frightening young child..."

Shimazu looked down. "The Dawn... that sounds familiar... I seem to have lost many of my memories from my mortal life. I can only remember being in power on Earth, and hating Mesogog as a rival... Who are 'the Dawn'?"

Vexacus laughed. "They are a warring species. They wish to conquer the entire galaxy and make it subject to them. They are psychics, telepaths, telekinetics... mind powered beings. Usually they only specialize in one or the other, but Lije was born with _all_ of their powers. They believe she is a symbol for what their people will become. They use her to dominate, going from world to world. Zeus has currently ordered the High Ones to watch over them, but somehow Lije got out and now she is in league with Lothor. I fear the time will come that she will go back and free her people and begin their crusade again. I worked alongside them once, and they are pure evil. I felt uncomfortable waging war with them on their terms. I for one am glad Zeus came down on them, so I could escape them."

"How did you get mixed up in their crowd?" Shimazu asked.

"They like to have scouts go before them. I am a mercenary by trade. They hired me, and got me locked into a contract. I knew if I broke the contract, they would hunt me down. Zeus and the High Ones have their planet on lockdown, so for now, I am free of their servitude." Vexacus explained.

Shimazu nodded. "I see... So, we need to be very careful against these 'Morphing Masters'."

"Yes. Their power is great. But, I have a plan... You see, I have a man on the inside, who works for Mesogog. He told me something interesting about Lothor: He plans on, when his 'Great City' is completed, having a large intergalactic festival to commemorate. _That_ is when we strike." Vexacus explained.

"And until then?" Shimazu asked.

"We plan, my Demon friend. Until then, we plan for Lothor's demise."

. . .

Castiel left Michael in his office. He straightened his jacket and walked to meet up with D. He knocked on his door.

D looked up from his desk to see who was at his half open door. When he saw the Royal Counselor, Castiel, he nodded and beckoned him in. "What may I do for you, Cass?"

Castiel frowned. "It's Michael. He is rather upset of losing Victor."

D nodded. "And how does that concern me?" He didn't lift his eyes up from his paperwork.

"The Reaper project. If we can get that up and running, I believe we will be able to manage the Demons more efficiently, cut back on their growth rate, and get to Beelzebub... I mean Victor, quicker." Castiel explained.

D raised an eyebrow. He dropped his pen and looked up from his papers. "And why are you so concerned _now_ about speeding up the process? What's the hurry?"

"Michael said he would be willing to do _anything_ to get Victor back. I fear he doesn't have the same sound mind his father had. I fear he will do something... rash."

D nodded. "Understandable. I will see if we can get the Reaper Academy up and running quicker. You do know the training will take some time, and I would be the only Reaper for quite some time."

Castiel nodded in return. "Yes, I do, but I believe it will work out well in the end. Let me know if you need me to do anything."

D gave him a dry smile and returned to his papers. As Castiel began to walk out, D called out to him. "Please... close the door behind you."

Castiel nodded and did so. As he did, D stared at the door for a moment. He sighed and opened up his drawer. He pulled out a wrist tech. Future: Omega Ranger recognized it from the scene in the year 8000 B.C. he had seen in his last indexing record: it was a Freelancer device.

"This is Agent D. I need to speak to someone." D said. A vortex appeared before his desk. Suddenly, a man in a suit appeared in the room. D looked at him nonchalantly.

"You needed something, D?" The man asked.

"I want to know if the Traveler will authorize me beginning the Reaper project sooner than schedule for the Ethereals." D said. "Can you look into that for me, Agent Chen?"

Chen nodded. "Just one moment..." He stepped back into the vortex. A few moments later, he re-emerged. "The Traveler says it is fine with him and won't affect his plans. He wants to remind you to make sure that energy is routed correctly."

D rolled his eyes. "Of course. I'm not dumb."

Chen sneered. "I'd like to see you speak that way to the Traveler himself."

"I'm sure you would. You're dismissed. The longer you stay here, the more likely the _both_ of us will be caught." D said.

Chen raised an eyebrow. "So, they have a Watcher here?"

D nodded. "It's the one that bothered the Traveler. September."

Chen made a note in his wrist tech. "I've uploaded that information to the Traveler's mainframe. Thank you for your service, Agent." He then turned and walked back into the vortex, the vortex disappearing as he left.

D then sighed heavily and went back to his work. He began implementing the process that would lead to the formation of the Reapers.

A few meters away from D's office, Michael sat on his throne. He stared at the jewels that were the remnant of what he did not know was called the Crystal of Doom. He could feel immense power coming from them.

 _Beelzebub has such power. If left unchecked, he will lead his army to destroy this marvelous empire father has made. I cannot let that happen. I cannot let father's own blood be the downfall for the Ethereals. Beelze- Victor and I were meant to lead the Ethereals together. This was not supposed to happen._ Michael thought.

 _After that horrible Lilith came into the picture, Victor was no more and Beelzebub was born. But, I will get my brother back. I must be able to withstand him._ He thought to himself. Then, his brain started reasoning with him.

 _I do not know what powers these jewels have. All I do know is that I cannot let my brother be lost. I cannot sit by and watch him throw his life away. I love him too much. Consequences to the wind, I will bring him back to the family fold. No matter the cost._ Michael said. He then began to filter his tremendous tap to the Emotional Grid of Light, to the White Energy, into the jewels in his right hand. He reached to his side table and lifted up his crown from its resting place with his left hand, pumping White Energy into it, as well. He then placed each of the five jewels into the peaks of his crown.

It glowed with White Energy. He placed it upon his head, allowing the White Energy to flow back to him. Now completely mixed with the power from the jewels, that power, too, diffused through into Michael. He could feel it coursing through him. The crown was a new source of power for him.

He smiled. "And thus is born a new legacy. On my head sits the Crown of the Gods." He said to himself, as if performing a coronation ceremony to make the weapon upon his head an official act of the kingdom of the Ethereals. "Today, the Corona Aurora is born."

. . .

Beelzebub watched as Azazel, Diabolico, and Goresakubo blasted through those on the planet, destroying everything in their path. This was not a recruiting mission, so their destructive power was unleashed upon the planet uninhibited. It was a massacre for the peaceful planet.

Mythical Master floated near Beelzebub, unseen by those he spied on. He laughed maniacally. "Yes! This is perfect! They are more powerful than I could have dreamed. The Power Rangers will suffer under my hand with their power!"

September watched this all, shaking his head in disbelief. _I didn't know this was going to happen... This destruction is all so sudden and unexpected..._ He thought to himself.

He was so used to being able to monitor timelines, and when a sudden disturbance happened be able to fix and stop it, standing by idly and watching something unplanned for happen that he did not want to see happening and not doing anything to stop it felt against his nature. He needed to control himself from trying to makes things be the way he wanted them to be.

 _Free will isn't making sure good always wins. Free will isn't ensuring everyone is happy all of the time..._ September reasoned with himself. _Free will is the ability to choose for oneself, even if it means they are choosing to hurt others. Then those who have empathy, and wish to serve others, can become who they are meant to become, and they will choose to fight those who are selfish and evil. I have a strong feeling that is the correct path in the universe, and that is the path that will lead to multiuniversal happiness. Those who I know as my friends were that way, and I know the universes deserve to have more people like that. That is why I must defect - To let others choose for themselves, and to stop the End of All Things..._

September thought back. He remembered when he first found out the Watchers' purpose. It was an odd feeling for him, as if he had tapped into a portion of his brain he did not know he could. The pieces had fallen into place, and it was as if he could see the big picture. After that scientist had gone mad, and September had tried to fix things, he remembered thinking of the consequences of his actions. Why he had decided to do what he was doing was an urgent thought in his mind, which had led him to question the Watchers as a whole. When he had put all of the pieces together, he could see the ultimate plan. A plan which was contrived of selfish ambition. He could not let the Supreme complete that evil plan.

"And now... the Orb of Doom!" Beelzebub shouted, breaking September from his flow of consciousness. September did a quick mental calculation and saw that Beelzebub was placing the Orb in a spot that would not garner the results the Orb was meant to do: turn a planet back in time to a past state. September furrowed his brow as he tried to calculate the possibilities of this bad geographic placement.

 _It's so complicated... so many anomalies in the math..._ September said, getting lost in the math. He wanted desperately to stop Beelzebub, but he had to stop _himself_ from going against his own instinct.

 _Wait... If I stop him, that's me exerting_ _my_ _free will... for what is good. How is that any different from him exerting his free will to hurt others? His free will is not more than mine. I_ _can_ _act. And if I am to be like my friends... I_ _should_ _act._ September thought, feeling good about his decision. He decided he wouldn't use his Watcher tech, though, because he felt that using it would make him no better than those he was trying to stop.

He rushed down to the planet. He suddenly appeared from his visibility cloak. Mythical Master watched in shock. "A Freelancer!? Here!?"

As September walked to stop Beelzebub, he saw the Orb of Doom beginning to shine in his hands. It was almost activated. September pointed his mini blaster at Beelzebub, but before he could fire, Thor and Loki swooped down, landing on Beelzebub. Thor swung his mighty hammer, Mjolnir, with great force. It hit Beelzebub in the hand that was holding the orb. Beelzebub swung with two of his other arms, knocking Thor off of him. Loki tried desperately to claw the orb out from Beelzebub's hands as a third arm tried knocking Loki away. Black Energy began to course through Beelzebub as he swung his other two arms at Loki.

September watched as an odd phenomenon occurred: As Loki finally grabbed the Orb of Doom, three of Beelzebub's arms made contact with the High One. A surge of Black Energy left Beelzebub's body, attacking Loki. At the same time, energy escaped from the Orb of Doom, shooting into Loki as well.

"Ahhh!" Loki screamed, dropping the Orb of Doom to the ground. Before September could react, the Orb began having its effect on the planet.

"Brother!" Thor yelled, throwing Mjolnir and having it slam against the side of Beelzebub's head. Beelzebub flew a great distance away, screaming in pain. Mjolnir then wrapped back around and into Thor's hands.

September and Thor watched in horror as Loki began glowing a dark purple color. Then, suddenly, the purple color blasted off from Loki, landing as a physical thing on the ground beside Loki. It began shifting and morphing, taking a homunculus shape. Before long, a Demon was writhing in pain on the ground. Loki, no longer in pain himself, stared in disgust at it.

"What is that!? What is that!?" Loki screamed as Thor swung Mjolnir. Not letting go of the hammer as he threw it, Thor was able to fly by being carried by the soaring Magical hammer. As he soared on, he grabbed Loki by the collar and began to fly away.

"It will be okay, brother." Thor said. "We will go and see if we can discover what has happened to you."

"Thor! Look!" Loki said, looking down on the planet as they approached space. Thor did as his brother suggested, and saw the planet begin to spin wildly on its axis.

"By Odin's beard!" Thor shouted. He stopped and floated in space with Loki, staring at the horribly disastrous sight.

September could feel the planet going through seizures. He made himself invisible again, looking up to see Mythical Master making notes in his portable computer. He then looked over and saw Diabolico run to the Demon who popped out of Loki.

"Come with me, brother." Diabolico said. "You are not falling here. Not like this." He picked up the new Demon and disappeared. September made a quick calculation and discovered that they had teleported to a moon nearby, that was going to suddenly be a floating object in space, no longer anchored in orbit by the planet he figured was soon to disappear. September opened a Time Door and entered it, coming out the other side on the aforementioned moon.

"What is happening?" Azazel asked.

As they looked down, the planet disappeared. Beelzebub laughed. "Total destruction. That's what. This artifact is truly a weapon of doom. With this in hand, Michael and the Ethereals don't stand a chance..."

Unknown to them, Mythical Master laughed. "And neither do the Power Rangers!"

September shook his head. He could feel the anomalies the Orb of Doom had done. It had sent the planet away, to somewhere else he could not determine. It seemed to not be connected to space/time at all. He could feel it still existed, though. He was confused. Then, a feeling of dread swept over him. If he was feeling the strong anomalies, no doubt the other Watchers would, as well. There would be no way for him to explain it away. He knew that soon, Freelancers and Watchers would be asking him too many questions. Questions he didn't want to answer. Answers that he knew would lead to his destruction.

. . .

Paige threw a table onto the floor of the cabin in anger. Red Energy circulated her very being. She was furious.

"Paige, listen. We need-" Prue started.

"We _need_ to find a way to stop these menaces." Paige interrupted. "They will throw us out of power, Prue. Do you understand that? I don't even think the High Witch or the High Warlock could defeat that man who showed up at the end. Did you see his Ultima spell!? I've never seen anything like it!"

Phoebe nodded. "I felt tremendous power from him. Imagine if he and Regina had fought us simultaneously. I don't think even the four of us together could stop them."

"Then we need more. Power in numbers, you know." Piper suggested.

A light came on in Paige's mind. "Yes, but they may be expecting that... We need to do something... different."

"Like what?" Prue asked, curious but excited.

Paige smiled. "Phoebe? I need you to make a call. I want you to bring to us the Alphas."

Phoebe looked at her, surprised. "Which ones? Nighlok? Werewolf? Vampire? Changeling?"

Paige placed a hand on her sister's shoulder, her smile getting larger. "All of them."


	16. Part 3 - Chapter 8: Three's a Crowd

**Chapter Eight: Three's a Crowd**

Ninjor nodded slowly. "I am very sorry to hear about your sister passing in such a way..."

Trinity gave the old sage a warm smile. "I appreciate the condolences. I have since accepted Tria's fate. Watching her fall into that chasm on Triforia was difficult. The Gold Ranger at the time had felt awful. She couldn't cope with having needed Tria to help her. She always believed after that incident that if she had been stronger and better at being a ranger, Tria would not have needed to step in. I never believed that myself, but guilt can warp you..."

"And your husband, Zordon? He also felt as if he was to blame?" Ninjor asked.

Trinity nodded. "I don't know if anyone else saw it, but from my perspective, that was when he sat out in the war. He never again did anything. He never participated in anything after that point unless it was from a planning standpoint."

Ninjor clenched his fists. "I can feel Zordon's tap to the Morphing Grid... Yes, he is powerful... And... he has gained more power than before. He has just increased his power during this very conversation."

"Really? How interesting..." Trinity remarked, looking down. She was lost in her own thoughts. She wondered what could have driven him to not only come back to fight, but also to _increase_ his power. The first thing that came to her mind as a catalyst for her husband's return to action was the destruction of their dear friend, Burai.

"...And I believe the one you mentioned to me before: Yoral... He, too, has returned. And he is stronger than before, as well. I can tell that his Amaradon Ranger powers are strong enough that merely being in the presence of the Nathadian powers won't stop him from morphing and fighting. Things have escalated.

"You, too, need to escalate the fight, Master Trinity. Now, I do not know how the Zocato power has survived through all of these years, but that doesn't matter. The fact of the matter is that the Zocato power _is_ here, and it is helping the forces of evil dominate over those who are weak. Sadly, just as Sentinel Knight has secluded himself from all around him, I, too, must stay in the dark. I cannot allow my capture, because if anyone could figure out how to tap directly into _me_ and abuse my tap into all facets of the Martial Arts of the Morphing Grid, they would be extremely powerful. Thankfully, that is why I established the Power of Ninja!"

Trinity smiled as Ninjor turned around, waving his arms into the air as she saw him swell with pride at the work of his hands. He seemed to be a great person, and she could not wait to have Zordon meet him.

"And you, Master Trinity, will help ensure my Ninja Academies continue. I also need you to ensure that the Samurai are re-established. It saddens me that the traditions of the Samurai have disappeared... But you can fix that! The Samurai are meant to be a more advanced and disciplined lot than the Ninja. One works hard, and for years to master the power of Ninja, _then_ they train hard to rise to the rank of Samurai. The Samurai are the equivalent to a Ninja that a Knight is to a Magician here onEarth. They are based on the same principles when Sentinel Knight, the Nathadians, and myself were trying to organize everything." Ninjor explained to Trinity.

Trinity looked at Ninjor with amazement. "So you didn't know _of_ the Nathadians. You _knew_ them!?"

Ninjor laughed. "Oh, yes. They were a mighty and determined bunch... They were betrayed by someone of their own realm, unfortunately. They traveled here from another dimension; another universe. They tried to help us against the forces of evil, but it ended rather poorly... But, what's done is done! We are still here, and there is work to finish! Here is a copy of the Samurai manuscript, like I promised."

Suddenly, Trinity found a scroll in her hand. She looked at it in amazement. Techniques on harnessing the inner elements ninjas were taught, turning them into what was called Symbol Power, were written all across the manuscript's pages. She looked to Ninjor and ran to him, giving the giant armored man a hug.

Ninjor laughed. "Oh, my! Why, thank you! Haha! I'm glad I was of service to you and the rest of your people trying to uphold the legacy of Ninja!"

"I cannot wait to return here and have you meet Zordon. I will give you updates from time to time and-"

Ninjor let his head bow down. Although she could not tell for lack of a visible face, his body emoted sadness. He put up a hand and began shaking his fallen head. "No, no, Master Trinity. You must never tell Master Zordon about meeting me. You must never tell anyone that you were here. If the forces of evil know that _you_ know of the whereabouts, or that you _might_ know where it is, you will be in even greater danger than before. You've seen how maniacal those fiends got over the Corona Aurora. If word lets out that you have been here, have conversed with me, and that I still live... You will understand how Sentinel Knight feels, because _you_ will be the next Corona Aurora. Everyone will want you, to tap into your mind and try and rip out, by whatever means necessary, the information you have. I don't want that kind of life for you."

Trinity thought back on Zordon and Gosei, and their secrets of the Ranger Keys. She thought about how Zordon told her time and time again that it was in her benefit that she knew not of those things. She knew that, although she wanted to be completely honest with him about everything, because of his high calling within the Resistance, and her high calling as a Master of Ninja Morphing Power, they could not divulge confidential information one to another. She still, though, wanted to be as open as possible to her husband. At that moment she decided that she would tell him that, at the very least, she had _something_ occur to her that was of the same nature as Zordon's dealings with Gosei, and for him to know that she wasn't trying to be secretive, but cautious in times of war.

"I understand, Master Ninjor. I will never tell anyone of the Temple of Power." Trinity said.

Ninjor nodded. "I trust you, Master Trinity. Now, I will send you back to the Desert of Despair. I trust you will be able to make it back home from there?"

She smiled and nodded. "Until next time, Master Ninjor."

Although it had been a short time with her, Ninjor felt a deep connection to the woman before him. He fought back tears as he waved goodbye to her. "Until next time, Master Trinity."

She got into her morphing stance. Spinning the disc on her morpher, she cried out, "Ninja storm! Ranger form! Ha! Power of light!"

The Pink Ninja Ranger clutched the manuscript in her hand. As she did, she felt herself being involuntarily teleported out of the Temple of Power, back to the Desert of Despair. As she began to fade, she waved goodbye to her unofficial mentor. She could him him cry out, "Until next time!"

Suddenly, she was in the middle of the desert, far from where she had encountered Rita and Finster. She tapped her helmet, patching her into her base in the Magic Realm.

"Go for Gosei."

"This is Trinity."

"Trinity! Wow! What happened!? You disappeared off the grid for a bit! Where were you!? Oh, and you'll never believe what is happening right now!"

"I'm aware that Yoral is back." The Pink Ranger said simply.

After a short silence from the other side, Gosei said, "Okay, then... Well, do you need a portal back to us?"

"Yes, please."

She gripped the parchment hard as the portal appeared. She turned around and looked out into the desert. As she squinted through her visor, it was almost as if she could see Ninjor standing a ways off, waving to her once again. She smiled a sad smile to herself and waved back, not knowing if it was a mirage or not.

 _See ya next time, Ninjor..._ The Pink Ranger thought as she turned around and made her way into the portal.

. . .

Castiel floated into this new galaxy. He was tired, but he knew if he took any breaks, that would give the forces of evil more time to prepare their forces while he was resting. He knew that one he found Michael, he would take Castiel's place once again as King of the Ethereals and Castiel would be allowed a moment to rest.

The Ethereal focused. A shockwave of White Energy erupted from him. He then focused on that Energy as it rippled out across the galaxy he was in. That's when he felt it. That familiar feeling he used to have near a member of the Royal Family. He shot out another burst, receiving another ping confirming his thoughts. He smiled in disbelief. He was almost done. He had found Michael's sealing place.

Castiel made his way with great speed to one of the solar systems within the massive galaxy. The ping was on the moon of one of the planets. Getting closer, he could feel it was on the planet closest to the star of that system.

Descending to the moon, he saw what appeared to be a massive monolith, jutting out from the ground. He sent out another shockwave, becoming a physical being as he did. He could feel Michael within the monolith, but he could also feel the powerful spell keeping him contained. Castiel summoned the mighty White Sword that once belonged to Michael's family. He knew he would need it to break the spell.

As he walked forward, another familiar feeling swept over him. He turned quickly, sword ready to fight. Every hair on the back of his arm stood on end. As he looked, in the backdrop, the fiery red sun was ablaze. Sweat was pouring down Castiel's face as the familiar purple smoke cloud appeared on the moon from space. It materialized itself. A slow, booming laugh came from it.

"I am the Demon Lord Azazel. Do you remember me, Castiel?"

Castiel sneered. "How could I forget? What are you doing here? I thought we destroyed you."

"I have been feeding here for the past thousand years. After I was nearly defeated by D oh, so many years ago, I decided I needed to gain _more_ power. I searched for the good part of a millenium for this place, but I finally found it. I have been slowly draining Michael of his power, assimilating it into myself. It is rather hard for my Demon self to absorb White Energy, but after a while it works out..." Azazel explained.

"Why are you doing this!?" Castiel demanded.

"To finish what Beelzebub started: the destruction of all that is living. To create a universe of Demons, free from the shackles of unknowing. We won't need to care about whether or not there is the Afterlife, because life will continue forever more as a Demon!"

Castiel shook his head. "That's not living. You Demons are a rotten lot. You live only to cause destruction. If you continue in your ways, and the universe does become littered with your species, then it will only be a matter of time before you all cause the universe's destruction."

"I guess we'll never know unless you leave me to my designs."

"You know that will never happen."

"Then prepare to be destroyed, Ethereal."

Castiel gritted his teeth as Azazel produced his wicked three eyed scythe. Castiel dug a foot into the dirt in anticipation of the upcoming battle. He then smirked, "After you, Demon."

. . .

Zordon smiled as the Pink Ninja Ranger appeared in the room. She demorphed and ran to him, hugging him tightly. He then looked at the scroll in her hand. "What is that, Trinity?"

She smiled at him. "That is where I was... I mean, I had disappeared because of this... kind of."

"Huh?" He said, laughing in confusion.

She straightened herself up. "While I investigated Rita, I came across this parchment. Now, just like you can't tell me about the Ranger Keys, I cannot tell you more about this parchment. I know you'll understand. But... among the things I learned, I discovered that I am a Morphing Master!"

Zordon's face went from happily confused to frustrated. "What? What is all of this? Parchments and secrets? Morphing Masters? Honey, the Morphing Masters are long gone. It's over."

She shook her head. "No, we're not. Sentinel Knight and Ninjor instituted the Ninja Academies to protect the Martial Arts of the Morphing Grid, while the Nathadians instituted the Magicians to care over the Magic Grid and its connection to the Morphing Grid."

Zordon recognized the name Ninjor, but it was from some myth that was passed down orally amongst those indigenous to the Magic Realm and the members of the Ninja Academies. "Just... tell me what happened."

She shook her head. "There are things which you must keep confidential for your safety. I am sorry, but I have told you all I can... for _everyone's_ safety. Please... trust me."

Zordon looked from Trinity to the parchment and back. After everything he had been through, not the least of which was meeting the Tribunal of Magic, he suspected stranger things could have happened to others. "...I trust you, my love."

She crinkled her nose and gave him a big hug. "Thank you so much. That means the world to me."

He laughed. Then, he got serious. "Honey, there is something horrible that-"

"I know, I know. Yoral is back."

"Well, that's not all. He has allied himself with Lord Zedd."

"...That I did not know."

Suddenly, the alarms started going off. "...Now what!?" Zordon demanded.

Robo Knight, fully recharged and with not a scratch on him, marched into the room. "General Zordon? Horrible news from the main plane of the planet Earth: The Overlords seem to have betrayed everyone. They are attacking and causing mass hysteria. The Order of the Claw is having a difficult time without the Animal Realm to assist. What do you want me to do?"

Zordon grimaced. "Where _are_ the Animal Realm Fighters?"

"They are still re-fortifying the Ancient City, General." Robo Knight answered.

"Okay, then. We go to fight." Zordon said simply.

"We?" Trinity asked, excited but cautious.

Zordon winked at her. "Yes, _we_."

"It would be an honor, General, to fight alongside you again." Robo Knight said.

"As it will be for me, Robo Knight. Oh, and one more thing?" Zordon said.

"Yes, General?"

He looked at Trinity and smiled. "Don't call me General anymore. I'm _Master_ Zordon, of the Morphing Masters."

. . .

Beast Red launched himself at his foe, ready to take him out. Rantipede, however, was unphased by the rapid punches the Red Ranger launched. He stood there and laughed. Then, he grabbed Beast Red by the throat and thrust him back to the rest of his team.

The Five Fingers of Poison laughed hard as the Beast Watch Rangers huddled together.

Beast Black grabbed at his ribs. "I'm in so much pain..."

"Ditto..." Beast Green agreed.

"We can't stop... Not now..." Beast Yellow said, trying to encourage the others.

"Come on, new guy. Face it... We're toast..." Beast Green said, shaking his head.

"Stop that, Cai-Zar!" Beast Blue shouted. "Tow-Lor is right! We can't stop fighting!"

"Oh, but I think you must..." A voice said, erupting from all around the rangers.

"The Master!" Stingerella shouted.

"Time to feel my Dark Magic!" Octomus shouted. From above the heads of the Five Fingers of Poison, a vortex to Dai Shi's temple opened. The tentacles of the master, with dragon heads on them, reached out from the vortex, spewing Dark Magic onto the rangers.

From space, Jak-Am's eyes grew wide. He turned to look at his cousin, Rach-Ur.

She frowned. "Those numbers on the screen... dipping down... aren't good, are they?"

"No. That's their energy level. Not only has this unknown force come into the equation, but it is completely counteracting the yellow sun here _and_ dealing massive damage to the rangers."

Cass-Mer ran into the room. "Get the rangers out of there now! I have new data."

Jak-Am had just pressed the "send" button as she said that. "Already done. Mar-Ran and Tob-Zu should be receiving the message now. What's happening!?"

Cass-Mer frowned. "I figured out what the problem is between the rangers, the yellow sun, and these enemies. I don't know what we are going to do from here on out to finish protecting these endangered species on Earth."

Rach-Ur clenched her fist. "We need to send for reinforcements!"

Jak-Am shook his head. "No, that won't happen. The other units don't have access to morphing tech. If we failed here, they will just scrap the species on Earth and tell us to move on."

Cass-Mer nodded. "They'll probably ask me to continue researching what happened for academic curiosities, but that's it."

"So, what now!?" Rach-Ur demanded.

"The rangers are here. They are unconscious, guys. Tob and I are wheeling them into the sick bay on gurneys." Mar-Ran informed those in the top deck.

Jak-Am shook his head. "I don't know, but let's speak with Cris-Re. He'll know what to do."

"And what if he doesn't?" Rach-Ur asked.

Cass-Mer's eyes darkened with the knowledge of what would happen if they had to abandon their mission. "Then all of Earth's species are doomed."

. . .

Gaia Green stared in fright as Dark Specter launched more power at him. He narrowly missed getting vaporized again. He could tell the massive Demon was toying with him.

"Finish him, your majesty!" Ecliptor said.

Dark Specter howled. "Do not tell me what to do. I will finish this in my own time!"

Darkonda, seeing an opportunity to prove that he was the number one general, nodded to Dark Specter. "Yes, your highness! I believe you are doing a most excellent job." He then turned and laughed at Ecliptor, who grunted and turned away from his new rival to view the "fight".

"Guys!? Guys!? Where are you!?" Gaia Green shouted. He had no idea what to do without his team.

"Oh, you mean your friends with similar powers as you? After Dark Specter told us they were on their way, I made sure to send a few hundred of our best Demons to destroy. I highly doubt you'll ever see them again." Darkonda said, laughing.

"No!" Gaia Green yelled, jumping out from behind a pipe. Using his Dolphin Grenade Launcher, he shot several blasts of White Energy at Darkonda, sending the powerful Demon flying back. He slammed into several control panels, sending sparks flying. Before he could duck, however, he was met with a massive punch from one of Dark Specter's fists.

Gaia Green slammed into the opposite wall, in a similar manner as Darkonda. As he hit, he could feel blood gush out from his mouth. He couldn't move his right arm. He was certain it was broken.

 _Now what!? It can't end like this! I've worked too hard!_ Gaia Green shouted. Unconsciously, his thoughts went back to his time as a pirate, when he had turned his back on the United Alliance to pursue a life of selfishness. He frowned behind his visor.

"No... not like this..." Gaia Green said, pulling himself up. Dark Specter and Ecliptor looked at him in surprise. "I have too... much to... make up for!"

He reached into his belt buckle and pulled out a card. It was a simple silver Power Card, the one Castiel had given him.

"I suppose... fighting the biggest Demon in the universe... justifies using it..." Gaia Green stated, focusing his power into the card and throwing it at Dark Specter. "At least... I hope that was what I was supposed to do..."

Gaia Green's hopes fell flat when all that happened was the card danced in the air in the wind for about two feet before falling to the ground. What caused him further grief was when the card slipped through the grating and went down under the grates, out of reach.

Dark Specter howled with laughter. "And they sent _you_ to fight me!? If you're the best they have, you may as well never expect to see your friends again. They're already destroyed."

Gaia Green clenched a fist. He began to hobble forward. "I may not be the best Power Ranger there ever was, or will be, but I have heart, Dark Specter. I won't go down without a fight!"

Dark Specter began charging an orb of Dark Magic and Black Energy. He chuckled. "Oh, you puny ranger. Yes, you will." He then released the orb, sending it sailing right to Gaia Green's heart.

As it was to hit, a massive light sparked from under the grating. It shot up and intercepted the blast, keeping it rolling against its massive energy, like a motorized ball trying to climb up a vertical wall.

Gaia Green was shocked to hear a voice coming from the light. "Leave my friend alone."

"Huh!?" Gaia Green said, shocked.

As the light vanished, a figure could be seen holding the attack back. The orb of evil power was being dammed by the axe the figure was holding. Looking him up and down, Gaia Green was shocked to see a new Gaia Ranger.

The new ranger turned his head and looked at Gaia Green, laughing. "Surprised? Me, too." He then bucked the orb up with his axe and, as it fell down, he swung his axe and hit it, sending it flying to the side. It hit Darkonda as he had just gotten himself up to his feet, sending him back down again with a crash.

Dark Specter screamed in rage. "What is this!?"

"It's the power of friendship!" The new ranger declared. He spun on one foot and threw his arms out to the side, as if to present himself. "The Animal Spirit of Venom! Snake! Gaia Black!"

. . .

Yoral looked at everything in the Moon Palace. He smiled. He was glad with the decision he had made. He knew he would learn a lot from working with Zedd.

Rita came storming in, anger on her face. "What is _he_ doing here!?"

Zedd shot a bolt of lightning at Rita's feet. "How dare you come barging in here as if you own the place!?"

Rita frowned. _I_ _did_ _own this place until you_ _took_ _it from me, fool!_ She thought as she bowed and apologized to her "master".

"Now, Rita? This is one of my newest generals. Depending on how he passes this next test, I will make him an equal to you."

"What!? I mean... What can I do to help?" Rita asked, holding back her rage.

Lord Zedd laughed as he could see the invisible Red Energy spewing forth from her staff, deepening her madness. "You can take care of everything on Earth for me while I train my newest asset. And make sure to not fail this time, Rita. And stop chasing after myths like Ninjor. It's a waste of our resources."

Rita clenched her fist, digging her nails into the palm of her hand. She could feel the blood begin to drip down. "Yes, your horribleness." She then turned and stomped out of the room. She ran into Finster's lab.

"Yes, my empress?" Finster said.

Rita screamed and began tossing his papers into the air. He scurried about, trying to clean up after her. "Finster!?"

As he cleaned up, Finster looked to Rita. "Yes, my queen?"

"I need your help in our newest task." Rita said.

"And what will that be?"

"Making sure Yoral and Zordon destroy each other..." Rita said, cackling.

Meanwhile, back in Zedd's throne room, Yoral bowed before Lord Zedd. "When do I start my training?"

"Right now, my Power Ranger!" Lord Zedd stated, laughing wildly. He pointed to a hallway that branched off from his room. "I want you to go down to the Caves of Despair and get for me the Zeo Crystal! It is enchanted, so I cannot get to it, but I think with your special Zocato power, _you_ can!"

Yoral smirked. "It's as good as done.

"Zocato power! Ancient source: Amaradon force!"

The Amaradon Ranger laughed and walked out of Zedd's throne room and into the hallway. As he made his way to the Caves of Deception, Lord Zedd laughed.

"Either he will get for me the Zeo Crystal, or I have just rid myself of someone who can dethrone me! Either way... I'm a genius!" Zedd declared, laughing violently. He then turned and sat down on his throne, his staff becoming the giant snake it used to be on the planet Mirinoi. He then turned on his visor's beam and began to watch the events unfolding on Earth.

. . .

Olivia looked around. She couldn't feel any disturbances, but she knew the Rogue, September was sly, so she needed to use both her abilities _and_ her eyes to see if she could find any trace of him.

Charlie walked down the side of the mountain, his eyes closed, as they searched. He stopped and pointed when he got a sensation. "Here... He was right here rolling down when he disappeared. I can't smell him here anymore."

Olivia walked over and concentrated. She then nodded. "A Time Door was opened right here, without our authorizaiton."

Link frowned. "The Interferers. It had to be them. Hey, you. Baldy. Get over here." Link said, pointing to December. Almost instantly, the Watcher was by his side.

Link shook his head. "You guys gotta stop being so silent around us. It freaks me out, okay?"

December ignored his request and asked, "What is it you are needing from me?"

Charlie pointed at the spot. "Agent Olivia has felt a time disturbance here. Can you confirm so your group doesn't come barking at us later. I don't want to give the President anymore headaches than he already has."

December nodded and scanned the area with his pocket device. He then nodded. "You are correct, Freelancer Olivia Dunham. An unauthorized Time Door was opened here, freeing the Rogue Watcher September."

Link sneered. "Great. We lost him."

December then punched in some further keys. "It would appear a Time Door with a similar signature opened up somewhere on this planet mere moments later, depositing something that had the same mass as the Rogue. Although the Interferers are able to block us, we were able to determine that much."

Charlie shrugged. "So...?"

Olivia narrowed her eyes at her Freelancer partners. "So that means he's still here, in this universe, on _this_ planet."

Link nodded, a smile spreading across his face. "Oh, yeah. That's great news. I was _so_ not in the mood to hear from Broyles again. Okay, so, our orders stay the same: stay out of the way of the locals as much as possible, secure the Rogue, and transport him back to the prison. Understood?"

Charlie raised a hand. "But... Why do we need to stay out of the way of the locals? This place here is the Anomaly Source. The Pattern can't be happening here, so anything we do won't _change_ the Pattern, right?"

Link winked. "I was just stating the orders, not what _we_ were gonnna do."

Olivia laughed. She elbowed Link in the side. "I like the way you think, partner."

December looked at them, appalled. "That is against the Pattern!"

Link placed an arm around December gently. "Listen, Baldy. We won't get in your way and you won't get in ours, got it? Now, I believe there is a time anomaly under a spot of soil near here, right? Don't you need to run along? You know that _time_ is of the essence, right?"

December shook his head. He typed in the coordinates to the spot above the Underground Temple and walked in through the Time Door. Link then typed in his own coordinates into his wrist tech.

"Ready?" Charlie asked as their own Time Door appeared.

Olivia smiled. "Oh, yeah. Let's go catch ourselves a Rogue."

. . .

The ship floated above Earth. Its sole passenger nodded slowly. "Yes, it was just as I felt. It is this planet that all of this Magic is pouring out from. Well, I have studied Magic for too long and too diligently to allow myself to be outclassed by anyone else in the universe. I must see what beings are giving off such power, and defeat them. By doing so, I will be known as the most powerful wizard in the universe. Everyone will know the name Mondo the Wizard!"


	17. Part 0 - Chapter 9: Terror from Below

**Chapter Nine: Terror from Below**

Paige stood at the head of the table. Her three sisters sat behind her, signifying that they, too, would preside over the meeting. Paige sneered as she looked at the Monsters sitting along the table. There were all of the Alphas, save Beelzebub, the most recent of the Alphas to come into existence. The Monsters disgusted her, but she needed them. She didn't care they were humanoids: She knew what they were on the inside. She needed to incite them into a state of chaos against Regina and Rumple if she was to defeat them, to reassert herself as one of the most powerful Witches in the universe.

She looked at each of them: Roman, the Leviathan. They were able to shapeshift, possess other beings, and could only be destroyed by powerful Magic, or another Leviathan. They would possess other beings by reverting to a liquid form, which was popularly believed to be their blood, and enter into the target, changing their physiology and effectively causing the demise of the host as soon as their blood finished coursing through the system. They were arguably the toughest species in the universe, able to defeat Demons, Ethereals, High Ones, and the progeny of the other Alphas;

Deviot, the Shapeshifter. His species specialized in becoming anyone who he wants to become. His advantage over Leviathan comes from not needing a sample of the intended target's DNA;

Cujo, the Skinwalker. With the ability to transform into a canine at will, he also had an infectious bite, transforming anyone bitten into one of his species as well. His species obeyed him with devout loyalty, and were the co-rulers of the Wolfshead Galaxy;

Fenrir, the Werewolf. His species are the other main inhabitants of the Wolfshead Galaxy, being very similar to Skinwalkers. They, too, were able to turn those bitten into one of their own. Those who were of older generations, as well as Fenrir himself, were able to transform on command like their Skinwalker cousins, but instead of becoming small canines, they would become giant wolf/human hybrids. They were stronger than Skinwalkers, but had less control over themselves once in their animal state;

Ifrit, the Djinn. There were two types of Djinn in the universe, but Ifrit had the best of both of his offspring. He could either feed off of his victims' fears, or their pleasures from having their deepest desires fulfilled. He had the ability to hide his true form with a human looking one, and could inject one of two types of venom into his victims. The first would give the victim the sense of being in their version of paradise, living out an entire lifetime of happiness, while the Djinn fed off their energy created by their pleasure. The second would create their deepest nightmares in a vivid, horrifying way in their minds, giving him the ability to feed off of their terror;

Dracula, the Vampire. They were a mostly night loving species. Most of their people had the ability to transform either into a bat, or a batlike Monster. They survived by drinking the blood of their prey. Those who did not perish from their feedings were, similar to the Skinwalkers and Werewolves, converted and became a member of their species. Dracula also had the ability to grow parts of himself, like his fingernails, into long blades. He was very resilient, had the ability to read other beings' minds and souls, and, like all Alphas, was immortal unless destroyed;

Serrator, the Nighlok. They were a race of beings who were the progenitor of what most called "Monsters" in the universe. In-breeding between other species, natural selection, random mutations, and Serrator himself creating new species from time to time caused diversity amongst the Monsters of the universe, so they could all be traced back to the Nighlok in one way or another. Serrator was the Alpha who seemed to have abilities similar to the other Alphas: infect other beings to be apart of his species, grow parts of his body to be weapons like the vampires did, transform to another form, and while he did not possess such a trait, many of his offspring could do a version of shapeshifting. An ability exclusive to him as an Alpha was inheriting from the Mother of Alphas the ability to create more Monsters, which he manifested by folding paper in a way some societies have given the name of "origami". Arguments were made often, debating whether the Alpha of the Leviathans, Vampires, or Nighloks was the superior Alpha.

Paige looked out and frowned. "Where is the Alpha Gargoyle?"

Deviot frowned. "We do have names, Missy."

Dracula smirked. "I tried getting Goliath to come, but he refuses, saying, and I quote: 'Anything involving a Witch or a Warlock is bound to be ridden with dishonor and poison'."

Paige's face flared in anger. She, like all of her kind, believed she was at the top of the food chain, and for her to not get what she wanted, in the way she wanted, was unacceptable. This trait was demonstrated in the fact that she gathered the most dangerous beings in the universe merely to help rid herself of a rival.

Seeing her anger, Roman laughed. "You're lucky you got _any_ of us to show up, Sweetie. Now, get on with it before I get upset." He flashed her a fake smile and winked.

Paige, remembering the danger she was in due to the nature of her company, coughed once and straightened up, composing herself. She then gave a fake smile herself and began speaking. "I have asked for your presence here for something I believe to be very important: there is a new group of anarchists wishing to change the status quo into what they want it to be. It is Lothor's group who have taken residence here on Earth."

She watched each of their reactions, to see how her lie would go over. Unbeknownst to her, she was actually telling the truth about Lothor's intentions, though she had no way of knowing that.

Serrator stood up from his seat. "Interesting accusation. Proof would be nice..."

Ifrit nodded. "How do we know we are not being conned into fighting a rival for you? You Witches are known for your petty rivalries."

Phoebe stood up. "Because I heard them planning. They then attacked us and beat us. We had to run for our lives!"

Dracula placed a hand to his chin. "Interesting... There may be some merit to this, if the mighty Paige is admitting of her own free will that she was actually beaten in battle. Well, are you?"

Paige grimaced. Although it pained her, there were greater things at stake in her opinion. She nodded. "Yes, it is true. All four of us were defeated by two Magicians."

Dracula looked at his cousins and laughed. "My, my... You must be very upset to come to us, and to admit defeat. But... This makes me think there is merit to what Ifrit accused you of doing. Sounds like a rivalry to me."

Paige shook her head. "I speak the truth."

Dracula raises an eyebrow. "If that were true, then why do you have spells in place, stopping me from reading you? Hmm?"

Prue laughed. "Because our minds belong to us and us alone. Don't blame us for wanting to keep our personal lives personal."

"Makes sense. Well, let's think this through guys." Fenrir began. "We all saw Lothor traveling around, spreading his propaganda about. Wasn't that odd?"

Cujo nodded at his fellow canine's thought. "He was going around, saying that he and his group would have supreme power and protect the universe. What if he was telling the truth? To beat Paige _and_ her sisters simultaneously lends credence to the clown's claims, does it not?"

Serrator took his seat and thought it over. "There was something odd about hi!, wasn't there?"

Deviot nodded. "I think it is worth our time. What do you want from us?"

Piper smiled to her sisters. It was working. She had her doubts when Prue had told them what she had been planning, but seeing that it may work out filled her with confidence.

"Simple: Your help in destroying the so-called 'Morphing Masters'." Paige said.

. . .

Lothor concentrated while holding the Sword of Darkness. He could hear his followers working diligently on the city outside his tent. He had seen it that morning, and it was looking spectacular to him.

It would all mean nothing to him if he couldn't retrieve the Crystal of Doom, though. He knew each piece of equipment was of the utmost importance if he were to execute the plan perfectly. He knew from experience that if anything was off, he could not maintain the God of Magic form for long. This time, for him, it had to be perfect.

At that moment, he could feel it. He had become one with the Sword of Darkness. His inner evil had gone into sync with its horrible power. He smiled as he set it gently upon his bed. He then bent over and began concentrating on the next weapon he wanted to use to gain his crystal back. The Cannon of Kiwas very heavy for him. He dropped it and dragged it over to a chair, sitting upon it. He then hoisted it up onto his lap. He could feel his Lifestream, the essence that gave him life, churn through him, being refined to be in sync with him.

Lothor knew that once he was ready, and powerful enough, he would be a force to be reckoned with. He knew that not even with the Crystal of Doom that Beelzebub would be able to stop him from retrieving what he believed was rightfully his.

. . .

Thor frowned as Poseidon looked over Loki. "Any ideas?"

Poseidon nodded. "Whatever hit him ripped a piece of Loki out. A lesser being would have been corrupted to the core, but I suspect because Loki is so powerful, it only corrupted a piece of him. That crystal you saw, that is."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "How are you so certain of that?"

"I can feel remnants of the power that attacked you. The Magic seems to have its roots in an Energy Corruption spell, to turn universal energy into a rotten form of energy, but it is much more complex than any I have ever seen. It's intriguing." Poseidon explained.

Thor shook his head. "Why would such a spell exist?"

Poseidon sighed. "It is purely academic. It was to see how energy in the universe worked, and to fully understand it we were trying to see how energy converts from one form to another. Though, I have no clue how someone could have stolen the spell and improved upon it so much..."

Loki piped in, saying, "What about me? Side effects?"

Poseidon smiled. "According to what I can see? You'll be exactly the same, but you may feel a little more inclination to be mischievous. It won't change you much, but just remember you'll be more prone to doing pranks and the sort."

Loki smiled. "Well, who doesn't love a good prank, huh!?"

Thor rolled his eyes. He then turned to face Poseidon. "Do you know of anything that could make an entire planet vanish like that?"

Poseidon frowned and shook his head. "No, I don't. If you can, please go back out and see if you can find anything. If you find it, let us all know so we can try and retrieve it."

Thor, with Loki jumping up to join him, saluted Poseidon. "You can count on us."

And with that, Poseidon watched as Thor and Loki left to search the universe for Beelzebub and the Orb of Doom.

. . .

Michael felt ashamed of what he had done when he saw the look on Castiel's face. _What's done is done._ Michael thought to himself, trying to not let Castiel get to him.

"What is that on your head!?" Castiel demanded.

"My father's crown. _My_ crown." Michael answered simply.

"I know that. I mean... It feels powerful... Too powerful. Michael, you didn't get the Elders' permission to activate a new weapon." Castiel said, honing down his worry to the most relevant point.

Michael sneered. "I don't need their permission. We are at war and I override them."

"Only in cases of emergencies! You know that! We are not in the state of emergency!" Castiel protested.

"Yes we are!" Michael said. He felt the energy flow through him from the Corona Aurora. Without thinking, he sent out a blast from himself, hitting Castiel hard. He hit the wall behind him with a thud and fell down, unconscious.

Michael ran to Castiel's side. "Cass!? Cass! Are you okay?" He felt for a pulse. Aside from some white blood dripping from Castiel's nose, he seemed to be okay.

Michael then stood up. He could feel the power still coursing through him. He then lowered his head, a look of determination on his face. "I have the power. Coupled with my father's sword, no one will stop me. I will bring Beelzebub back and purge him. Victor will come back to me."

He then sprouted his energy wings from his back. Lifting up his hood over his head, covering the Corona Aurora, he went into his Spirit form. He then flew out of the building and off of Eden, toward space to find his brother.

As he did, Agent D walked out of his office. With the aid of his wrist tech, he had been able to watch the whole scene from behind the wall. He looked at Castiel.

"Hmm... What power to have been able to knock out a fellow high-ranking Ethereal. Interesting." D said. He lifted up his wrist tech to his mouth to record a message. "This is Agent D, reporting in. The Time Anomaly Source has spread out further. A new weapon has been created we were unable to predict. It is very powerful. Let the Traveler know. I am sending the log of the power spike to HQ right now. Inform me of further orders."

Agent D then turned around and slipped back into his office. As he did, Castiel continued to lay propped up against the wall, unconscious and unable to stop his king from using his new powers.

. . .

Diabolico looked at the Demon that had popped out of the High One Loki. "So, you are the newest Demon to join our ranks. Welcome, brother."

Beelzebub nodded, but did not take his eyes off of the Orb of Doom. "Yes, my child. Welcome to our family."

Goresakubo turned to speak to Azazel. "Now that we know the power this weapon has, how will we use it?"

The new Demon, still trying to figure out his surroundings, looked from Goresakubo to Azazel. Azazel then said, "We need to do a demonstration for the universe to see. Somewhere prominent enough that it will matter. Then, once the universe trembles at the sight of the Orb of Doom, we will be able to blackmail planets into surrendering to us."

Beelzebub laughed. "Yes, and then we won't have to fight the people to save them."

The new Demon cocked his head to the side. "Save... people?"

Diabolico nodded. "Yes. We are trying to destroy the foundation of traditions the universe has. People wonder whether or not there is an Afterlife. We promise them a way around it, by living here, in this universe, forever as a Demon."

"Who am I?" The new Demon asked, jumping from one question to the next.

Goresakubo walked up to him. "Normally, you take on the name of the one from who you came out. But, your origin body is still alive... Weird."

Diabolico joined the two. "I know that you sprang from the body of the High One, Loki. Why don't we name you based on him, but differently?"

"How about Loki? You see, it is pronounced with an 'eye' at the end, instead of 'ee'." Azazel suggested.

Loki nodded and stood. "I will take this name upon myself." He then turned and bowed before Beelzebub. "I am at your command, father."

Beelzebub laughed. "Fantastic. Now, let's figure out what our next target will be, because I liked your plan Azazel. We must find a powerful planet and then... crush it."

"What about the people of the Dawn?" Diabolico asked. "They are the most feared people in the universe. Not only will we show we can break through the defenses of the High Ones, but we will also show that we are more powerful than the Dawn."

"Brilliant. How I am glad to have two amazing generals by my side. Yes, that is what we shall do. Come on, kiddies. Let's go annihilate the Dawn." Beelzebub said, extending his horrible wings out and flying off as each of his followers did the same.

. . .

The time had come that September had dreaded. Several vortices appeared around him. He wasn't escaping this.

December was the first to appear. "September. We have experienced many anomalies from this timeline."

August popped out next. "September. We ran a review of your reports. Stemming from the universe that branched into this one until this point in time, there are many, many inconsistencies."

"We are here to evaluate you and your work." July said, joining his comrades.

March came in to join the others. "Do you have any statements wherewith you will not be found guilty of committing treason against the Supreme?"

September looked down. Seeing how emotionless his "brothers" were being hurt him. They wouldn't understand. The only thing he could do was run. He turned around and ran through a Time Door he had conjured up from his palm device at that very moment. He knew it wouldn't be long before they caught up with him, so he needed to make a plan quickly.

As he popped out on the other side of the universe, he was shocked to see three figures on the other side waiting for him. One was female, and when he saw her a big smile appeared on his face. As he ran forward to meet her, he stopped. At that moment, he realized she wasn't who he thought she was.

The blonde haired man cocked an eyebrow. "Dude, this thing _is_ defective. Ever see a Watcher smile. At the least at one of us, Charlie?"

Charlie shook his head, rubbing the top where it was shaved bald. "Nope. This Baldy is an odd one."

The red haired woman, Olivia, pulled out a gun. "He's giving me the creeps. Let's bring him in. Link, would you mind?"

"Seriously? For a Baldy?" Link protested.

Charlie laughed. "If you don't, you know eventually the President will get wind of it."

Link rolled his eyes. "Fine. September, we are the Freelancers and you are under arrest for messing timelines without authorization against the Pattern, and for treason against the President and the fate of our future. Yadda-yadda... Come with us."

Olivia laughed. "That's good enough for me." She then pulled the trigger, sending an energized bullet straight at September.

As September caught it, however, he felt something odd. Tossing the bullet out of his hand, he turned around to see August behind him, a syringe in his hand.

Charlie ran up and grabbed September as he began to fade out of consciousness. The last thing he could hear was Link thanking the Watchers for their help, and that they would be processing him shortly. Then, all was dark.

Fearing the Freelancers would take September away to a place he would not be able to follow, theFuture: Omega Ranger concentrated his Third Eye ability on September, doing what Omega thought of as a "bookmark" to be able to get to September again. As he watched the Freelancers take September away, he could only hope the next time he had a vision of the story he had dubbed "Part Zero", he would be able to trace his way back to September's mind.

. . .

Octomus laughed from the door of his tent as he watched Lokar looking around in confusion, while Zen Aku grabbed at his hair, screaming in a panic.

Dai Shi saw the occurrence and, noting Octomus' glee, walked over to him. "So, let me guess: you stole something really important to the little nerd, right?"

Octomus nodded. "Boy, did I! Hehe... Come into my tent. I'll show you."

Dai Shi smiled as he looked around the camp, making sure no one was privy to their dark dealings. As he looked, he saw another wall of the city that was being built around them go up. Soon, they would start making the buildings that would surround the temple within the walls of the city. He saw Jakon,Jor, Trueheart, Tidus, and Xan hard at work, finishing the last hour of their shift. Dai Shi then shook his head as he entered the tent, remembering he had graveyard shift that night.

As Octomus pulled out a box from under his bed, he looked at Dai Shi and asked, "Have I ever told you what I used to do before I joined the Morphing Masters?"

Dai Shi shook his head. "Nope. Never thought to ask."

Dai Shi could see Octomus smile through the tendrils hanging off of his face. "I was an assassin. I played a large role in the war that happened a while back against all those Magicians."

Dai Shi nodded in approval while sticking out his lower lip. "I'm impressed. After Lothor's lecture last week on beefing up our résumés, I'm sure you're excited to add that one for your next job interview."

Octomus laughed at Dai Shi's sarcasm. "Certainly. Now, the reason I tell you this is because I actually didn't destroy some of my targets. In fact, I kidnapped ten of them, to use as I saw fit. I had originally thought to keep them for ransom purposes, but after coming into some good money, I figured I didn't need that anymore."

Dai Shi stared at Octomus. "So... Where are those people you kidnapped? Do you still have them?"

Octomus nodded. "Each side of the war was trying to assassinate powerful figures their enemy had. I kept the ten strongest for myself. Thanks to Zen Aku, I know what to do with them now."

Octomus pulled out the machine he stole from Zen Aku, smiling. Dai Shi stared at it. "What is it?"

"Zen Aku's mind control device. I'm going to use it on the sorcerers I have to force them to obey my will."

"What if Zen Aku catches you with it? I'm sure you can't keep it hidden in this camp for long..."

Octomus waved his right hand. Dark Magic emanated from it, creating a copy of the machine. "That's why I'm giving it back to him. I needed to build up enough Magic to perform this spell. And now that you're here, _you_ can give it to him, so he doesn't suspect _me_."

"Sounds good to me. So, you still have these sorcerers , huh? Where are they?" Dai Shi asked.

"I keep them in cryogenic stasis underground, near this planet's reserve of Sanzu water. I figure no one will ever go down there to check for anything, so they should be safe." Octomus said.

Dai Shi then picked up the metal box. "Fantastic. So, let's go tonight after everyone's conked out. We can test this stuff and see if we can unleash your Ten Terrors."

Octomus laughed. "Ten Terrors, huh? I like that name."

Dai Shi then slipped out of the tent and made his way to behind Zen Aku's tent. He then yelled out, "Hey! Is this what you're looking for?"

Zen Aku and Lokar ran up to Dai Shi, seeing him with the box. Zen Aku laughed and grabbed it. "Thanks! I didn't know where I put it. I'm so absent minded sometimes. Anyway, thank you!"

As Zen Aku walked away, Lokar eyed Dai Shi up and down. He sneered at him.

Dai Shi walked up to stand face to face with Lokar. "You have a problem, bub?"

"Yeah, I do. I don't know what you're planning, and I don't care. Just stay away from Zen Aku. He's mine."

Dai Shi snorted and smiled. "Don't know what you're talkin' 'bout. Good luck with whatever you have going on here, though. See ya around the camp."

Dai Shi winked at Lokar as they both made their way back to the tents of their business partner. Lokar to figure out how to abuse Zen Aku's inventions, and Dai Shi to help Octomus unleash the Ten Terrors. Both parties had the same goal, though: they did their dirty deeds so they could gain the powers of the Greatest Treasure in the Universe.


	18. Part 3 - Chapter 9: Power in Numbers

**Chapter Nine: Power in Numbers**

"Ancient source: Meledon force! Meledon Ranger!"

"Ninja storm! Ranger form! Ha! Power of Light: Ninja Storm Pink Ranger!"

"Guardian of the Earth: Robo Knight."

The Overlords laughed as Team Victory finished their morph. Grizzaka stepped forward.

"I've been training for a day like this, Meledon Ranger… Zocato power!" Grizzaka shouted.

Meledon Ranger was shocked. He had no idea from where Yoral had learned his Zocato power, and with everything that had been occurring, he had momentarily forgotten how the Tribunal of Magic had already told him that Grizzaka had obtained Zocato power for himself. The blast hit him hard. He began to feel himself weakening.

"Haha! You can't stop me now, Zordon!" Grizzaka warned. Jellica then ran forward, fighting the Pink Ranger. Meanwhile, the Overlord of the Sky slashed at Robo Knight.

Meledon Ranger pulled himself to his feet. He could feel his connection to the Nathadian power slipping. He then summoned forth his red tiger saber.

"Jungle beast: Spirit unleashed! With the power of the red tiger: Meledon Ranger Beast Mode!"

For the first time, Meledon Ranger could feel his suit changing to match his new power hybridization. Red-violet, shiny tiger stripes appeared down the side of his torso, as well as his arms. Swinging his saber, he ran forward to fight the wielder of the Bear Spirit.

Grizzaka braced himself. "Impressive… You have embraced the Animal Spirit… No matter. My Bear Spirit will take care of you!" He then ran forward, ready to swing his burly arms to overpower the old man in his ranger suit.

As Meledon Ranger was to connect with Grizzaka, swinging his saber, a blue light surrounded him. Before Grizzaka could react, Meledon Ranger had disappeared.

"Where did you go, Power Ranger!?" Grizzaka cried out in anger, searching for him. He did not understand where his rival had gone. Upon realizing it wasn't a strategy and that Meledon was not returning, Grizzaka laughed.

"My Zocato power _did_ destroy him! Now… it's time to target the other rangers!" Grizzaka said, running to help Carnisoar against the powerful Robo Knight.

. . .

Amaradon Ranger entered the Caves of Deception. Almost at once, he could feel Nathadian magic begin to overwhelm him. It was searching his mind for his deepest fears and anxieties. Being so in tune with the Zocato power, however, he could feel the intention of the spell Dulcea had cast so many centuries earlier. He frowned behind his visor.

"Zocato power!" Amaradon yelled. He focused hard, creating a force field of Zocato power around him. At that moment, he no longer could feel the influence of the dangerous spell. He laughed and began to make his way through the simple maze.

As he continued to walk, maintaining his force field, he tried to see if he could feel the presence of theZeo Crystal Lord Zedd had told him to procure. Within a matter of mere moments, he could feel the power source that Rahp, Filcar, Marvelous, and Luka had tried to hide two thousand years earlier. He could feel its immense power. He then knew what he had to do next: He would take the Zeo Crystal for himself. He didn't need Zedd's training, he reasoned to himself, if he had his Zocato power mixed with the Zeo Crystal.

 _And then… I can bring to pass the Reunion!_ Amaradon thought to himself. Waves of pleasure flowed through his body at that thought. Then, he paused.

 _Reunion? What is that? Where did that thought come from? I've never heard of the Reunion before…_ Amaradon thought to himself. He frowned as he thought about it, continuing forward through the maze. Although he understood not what the phrase meant, it felt good to him. It felt like everything else, even his rivalry with Zordon, meant nothing to him. Those feelings were making him uneasy.

Then, it all ended. He had arrived at his destination. Before him was the almighty Zeo Crystal: a crystallized portion of the Morphing Grid, hidden centuries prior on a distant planet. The power flowing from it was a large temptation for Amaradon. He laughed as he scanned it with his Zocato power.

He could feel a force field around it. It was the spell Sentinel Knight had put into place, to ensure the object was protected from those with impure intentions. It was the same spell he remembered using centuries prior against Flurious and Moltor as they had tried to capture the Corona Aurora for themselves. For Amaradon, however, all he knew was some kind of power was blocking him from the next rung in the ladder to ultimate power.

"Zocato power!" Amaradon Ranger yelled. His force field met with the emanation flowing from his body, creating a giant tidal wave of Zocato power to hit Sentinel Knight's spell. As it did, Amaradon Ranger ran up to the Zeo Crystal and reached for it.

At that moment, immense pain flowed through his body. He had felt a strong Nathadian presence within Sentinel Knight's force field, but he knew not that Sentinel Knight had mixed in some different magic into the spell as well. As it was not purely a Nathadian spell, his Zocato power alone was not enough to diffuse it. Unfortunately for Amaradon Ranger, the spell was active as he touched the Zeo Crystal. Reading the impurity in his heart, the spell attacked him like it was programmed to.

Yoral, being forcefully demorphed, fell to the ground in pain. His face hit the rocky path with a thud. Blood spewed out from his mouth as he felt a couple of teeth break on impact. He looked up, seeing double from the concussion his impact had given him. At that same moment, he felt Dulcea's Nathadian Spell of Deception attack him. Unaffected by his concussion, a vision of his deepest Fear appeared before him.

The image of Zordon, once again his younger self, looked at Yoral and laughed. "You were always a second rate loser, Yoral. You were never destined to be like me. I was the one who came into your group. Everything was going fine up until then, huh?" The Fake Zordon walked over to Yoral, putting his hand under his chin and lifting it up. He bent over and put his face up to Yoral's.

"Face it, Yoral. I'm the Eltarian you always wanted to be, but never could live up to. _I_ got the Meledon powers. _I_ became the leader of Team Victory. _I_ was chosen to lead the Resistance against the Demons overpowering what was left of the United Alliance. And…"

Fake Zordon stood up, letting Yoral's face drop down again. Looking up, Yoral suddenly saw an image ofTrinity walk up to Fake Zordon. Fake Trinity pointed at Yoral and started laughing.

" _I_ got the girl." Fake Zordon said, turning to Fake Trinity and grabbing the hand that was pointing at Yoral as she laughed. He placed it up to his face and began kissing her passionately.

Red Energy flowed through Yoral. He tried moving, but saw that he couldn't. While he had been so focused on his Nathadian Deception mirage, he was unaware of the spell that was changing his physiological make-up. It had binded him down, forcing him into a paralyzed state as it had its effect. Because he was not as powerful as Commander Zedd had been, being possessed at the time by the Dark Lord, the spell was causing much more damage to him.

"…Stop…STOP!" Yoral said as the transformation hit his head. At that moment, Fake Trinity and Fake Zordon disappeared. Waves of pain hit him suddenly. The Red Energy around him, caused by his Rage, mixed in with Sentinel Knight's spell. It felt as if fire had hit him as he curled into a ball, crying while he regained control of his body. As he cried, he felt chunks of skin fall off his face onto the ground.

He could feel literal flames envelop a part of his face. The other part of his face felt hard and scaly. Every bit of him ached. He still could feel the Nathadian magic hitting him, but not as hard as before. He reasoned that after being slammed by Sentinel Knight's spell, Dulcea's spell had subsided. He lifted himself up on all fours and began crawling. Finding a small pool of water from a leak in a wall, he looked at his own reflection.

He lurched back, disgusted by what he saw. A weird, magical flame danced upon his face where the skin had fallen. Where he still had skin, it looked as if it were from the body of a lizard. His blonde hair had turned black, and unknown to him, the spell had done so to match the color of his impure soul.

Yoral then turned around. He saw the Zeo Crystal, still shining. He began making his way over to it as he got lightheaded. He saw a blue light materialize about him. Before he could make it a few feet, he was teleported out of the Caves of Deception against his will.

Lord Zedd sat up, startled. He had been enthralled in watching the Beast Watch get defeated by the Five Fingers of Poison when he felt the odd magic hit Amaradon Ranger, teleporting him off the moon.

He placed a hand to the rim around his exposed brain, tapping it with his metal "fingernails". "Interesting… Someone has kidnapped my warrior. No matter. I felt his failure down in the caves. Just as it was with me, he could not get to the Zeo Crystal. I wonder who would have taken him from me…"

As he thought, he noticed some movement to the side of his throne room. Glancing closer, he saw a pack of Putties Yoral had left behind. He looked them over and laughed. He caused the snake wrapped around his arms to transform into his power regulator: the Z Staff. He then shot a bolt of his power into the Putties, taking control over them. He walked over to them and found a mass of clay lying on the floor next to the now obedient clay fighters. He bent over and picked it up in his free hand.

"Finster!" Zedd cried out.

Scurrying into the room, Finster bowed before the muscular figure. "Yes, my lord?"

Zedd pointed to the putties. "Do you see these warriors? In my hand here I have the substance from which these soldiers were made. Can you recreate the process?"

Finster looked from the pile of clay to the Putty Patrollers and back. "I believe I know exactly how to do this. The clay seems to be from my home planet: Claydoious. The clay there is able to be molded into powerful beings… if there were a power source great enough. My team and I were able to make a few soldiers before we had to shut down the project. Our people were too poor to continue funding such a task. That was why I joined the United Alliance to begin with!"

Zedd began to turn red in anger, Red Energy visibly dancing off of him and lighting his throne room up. "I don't care about your life story, you nincompoop! Can you or can you not recreate the Putty Patrol!?"

Finster looked at them again. "Do you have a power source I can use?" As Finster awaited a reply, he thought of how fortunate he had been in, after having accepted his "employment" with Rita and her gang of terror, to have gone back to his homeworld and "raided" his old laboratory. Among the equipment he had Goldar help him take back to the Moon Palace was his old clay processor from the abandoned project.

Zedd grunted. "I can be the greatest power you will ever need!"

"Then follow me!" Finster cried out happily, leading Zedd and the Putty Patrol to the clay processor. Finster had to take off many sheets that were over it, as it had been out of use since he had brought it with him.

Zedd pointed at it with a finger. "Is this the contraption?"

Finster nodded. "Yes, my lord."

Zedd then, as if he were charging up, cocked his body back. He then twisted forward, pointing his Z Staff at the machine, pouring his evil power into it. Finster's eyes lit up in scientific amazement as he saw the machine churn back on.

"I will begin sculpting these Putty Patrollers immediately, your horribleness! Where do you want me to send them?" Finster asked.

Zedd laughed. "Everywhere…"

He then walked out of the room as the Putties that had once belonged to Yoral followed him. Turning to them as he walked up to his throne, he thought long and hard. "You Putties will be more powerful than whatever Finster could make… With Yoral's power flowing through you, I will take you lot for myself as my personal entourage. And with that, my henchmen, I will give you a sort of… immortality…"

Zedd then pointed his staff at the lot and shot them with more of his own power. He channeled it and created an emblem and straps to cause the emblem to be on their chests. A sign of their allegiance, a giant "Z" was the main symbol of the emblem. "And now, my Z Putties… Everytime you are defeated, you will be recreated and sent back to me, wherever I am! No matter how many times you soulless things are destroyed, you will come back. Your entire life force is now stored in the marking that shows that you belong to me. The only way to destroy you is to have your shields be targeted. Now… Go forth and be the harbingers of the terror your species will cause to the universe! Ah-hahaha!"

And like that, the Putty Patrol was sent straightway to fight with the Five Fingers of Poison. In Zedd's opinion, Dai Shi and "The Master" were getting to be thorns in his side. More times than he liked, whenever he had sent Rita to attack Earth and destroy Zordon and his Resistance base, Dai Shi had launched an attack that had interfered with Zedd's plans, allowing the chaos of the conflicting attacks to give the Resistance the upper hand. Lord Zedd had decided that he was going to have his advanced footsoldiers fight Dai Shi's advanced footsoldiers, to prove who was the better evil warlord.

As the Five Fingers of Poison prepared themselves to enter the Magic Realm, the Z Putties appeared. The sounds they made with their mouths made them seem even more mindless… and more intimidating.

"What is this?" Stingerella asked, looking at the grey fiends.

Rantipede sneered. "They seem to want to pick a fight."

Naja pointed at them. "Look at the Z on their chests… They must be heralds from Zordon."

"Then we will crush them! Hi-yah!" Gakko cried out, leading the fighters to the battle.

The Five Fingers of Poison were shocked to find that the Z Putties seemed to have rock hard bodies. Unlike how it was for them fighting the Beast Watch Rangers, they were having quite the difficult time in trying to defeat the Z Putties. It did not cross their minds to hit the Z straps.

Lord Zedd, upon the moon, laughed heartily. Then, he heard Finster's clay processor turn on, churning his clay statues into Putty Patrollers himself. Zedd entered the canine's laboratory, interested to see the event. As he did, Rita, too, walked in.

"What's going on!?" She screamed, rubbing her eyes. She had been napping in her quarters and the noise woke her up. She, however, was secretly grateful to have been awoken. She was having her recurring nightmare again that she had been having ever since she had taken the Dragon Coin fromBurai on Tarmac 3. The nightmare of her as a little girl being kidnapped by Eye Guy, and the two mysterious people yelling at her.

Laughing, Zedd pointed to the Putty Patrollers as they poured out from the clay processor. "Your new henchmen, Rita! Say goodbye to the Tenga Warriors. These clay fighters are the future of universal conquest!"

"And what is this horribly loud machine!?" Rita said, not wanting to show she was impressed with the soldiers. Although subservient to Zedd, she didn't want to look _completely_ dependent upon him.

Finster puffed his chest out in pride. "I call it the… Monster-Matic!" He wanted to come up with a clever name, instead of "clay processor", and that was the first name that came to his mind.

Rita looked at it. "So, it makes these… clay guys?"

"The Putty Patrol? Why, yes!"

"Can it make… other things? Other Monsters?"

Finster considered Rita's question. "Well, it can make anything I sculpt, really."

"Could you make copies of fighters who already exist?" Rita inquired.

"I would need to have a list of what they are able to do if I am to mimic them completely, but yes I suppose I could." Finster replied.

Rita turned around and reached for a big book she kept in Finster's lab. She carried it over to the dog and dropped it into his arms. "Here! It's a book I keep with all of the generals and soldiers who have served for me! This will be your 'recipe book' from now on!"

Finster looked at it and nodded. "Yes, my empress. In between studying how to get the Zeo Crystal and deciphering the Scrolls of Zordina, I will make sure to get to know this Recipe Book as well!"

Zedd grunted. "Don't waste too much time on that crystal…"

Rita laughed. "Why, Zedd? Any bad experiences with it?"

Zedd growled in anger. "Watch your tongue, you twin horned witch!"

Rita frowned. She then pointed to the Putty Patrollers. "What do I do with them, _my lord_?"

"Attack. Everyone."

Rita smiled and motioned for the squadron before her to follow her. "Finster! Make more!"

As she walked away, Zedd turned to Finster. "You mentioned the Scrolls of Zordina… What is that?"

Finster laughed. "It is a manuscript I am trying to decipher. I believe it is describing a squadron of powerful zords hidden somewhere on Earth and—"

"Wait… Us? Use zords? I love it! Finster, you buffoon… that's brilliant. Follow me."

As Finster threw another batch of Putties into the Monster-Matic, he scurried after Lord Zedd. He followed the master of the Moon Palace through a few hallways and ended up in front of a door.

"What is in here? I've never seen this room before…"

"Well, my canine comrade. As you know, the Edenites infused this palace with technology that has many rooms in here connecting to pocket dimensions. A few centuries ago, when I had a confrontation with Bansheera, there was a spoil of war that I was able to… 'procure' from her. I want to know if you can get it back up and running." Lord Zedd said.

Finster nodded. "I don't have too much on my plate, your worship. I can do it!"

"Excellent…" Lord Zedd said, opening the door. As they walked in, they were suddenly in what appeared to be a giant hangar bay. Amidst the beams, a giant white Humanoid machine stood, hanging off of chains.

"I believe I may have seen this before… long ago…" Finster said.

Zedd nodded. "It was used against the Power Rangers centuries ago. Now that the Dragonzord is gone and I haven't seen any other zords recently, with the idea I got from listening to your babbling back in your laboratory, I believe this machine can be used for more than spare parts. Finster, I want you to get this thing operational for Goldar to operate!"

"And what is this zord called?" Finster asked.

Lord Zedd turned around and began walking back to his throne. "Cyclopsis. This is my new war zord: Cyclopsis."

. . .

Jak-Am stared at the Beast Watch Rangers. They were in beds in the infirmary. He frowned and looked to Cass-Mer. "How are they?"

She shook her head. "Not good. Those guys called themselves the Five Fingers of Poison for a reason. They hit each of our rangers with a powerful venom. I don't know how long it will take them to recover if they can… I mean _when_ they can recover…"

Rach-Ur, standing behind her cousin, frowned. "Oh, great. Well, at least we know why they were having such a hard time against those goons."

Cass-Mer shook her head again. "No, actually. Their venom should still have had no effect on the Beast Watch. The power of the yellow sun here should have made them near gods to these beasts!"

Rach-Ur sneered in frustration. "Well then what was the problem!?"

"Magic." Cass-Mer said simply.

Jak-Am looked at her, confused. "The Beast Watch have gone up against magic before and have never had a problem. We just beat one of Dark Specter's forces on the mission before you were assigned to us, and they were using Dark Magic left and right."

Cass-Mer smiled. "I understand that. I read the past mission logs. Magic is actually having an adverse effect on them _now_ because of the yellow sun. It seems that whatever photonucleic effect is going on with the yellow sun and the Kryptonian physiology, it makes a Kryptonian super weak to magic."

As she explained this, Mar-Ran walked into the from where they were observing the sick Beast Rangers. He was frowning as he looked to Jak-Am. "Cris-Re said he wants to talk to you."

Jak-Am nodded solemnly. He walked silently into the medical bay. He made his way past Tob-Zu as he stood, monitoring the Rangers' medical charts. He had a feeling of dread as he looked at each Beast Ranger. With sunken cheeks and dark circles around their eyes, they looked like they had gotten into a fight with Death himself and had barely escaped. Jak-Am got a shot of encouragement as he saw Cris-Re, though. He looked just as determined as before.

"Jak…" Cris-Re began.

"Yes, Cris-Re?"

Cris-Re looked down at his sheet. "I don't think we can go on. This may have been our last mission as the Beast Watch Power Rangers."

. . .

Castiel leapt through the air, swinging the mighty sword he inherited as a part of his ascent to royalty. Azazel swung his three eyed scythe, meeting the royal sword with a clank. White and Black Energy erupted from the hit, blasting out from them into space. The red sun blazing behind them made the fight look as epic as it truly was.

"Give it up, Demon." Castiel advised. "You are not too far off from redemption."

Azazel laughed. "Redemption from what?"

Castiel sneered as he pushed off, shooting a blast of magic from his free hand as he flew away from Azazel. As he landed, Azazel swiped at the attack and destroyed it. His body, having grown accustomed to White Energy through his centuries of absorbing Michael's energy, was easily able to block Castiel's attack.

Answering Azazel's questions, Castiel said, "From what!? You have murdered thousands!"

"I have murdered them, but with the intent to recruit them to Demonhood."

"You're no god. You don't have the right to dictate when someone's life should end."

Azazel laughed. "No god? With my new powers, I _am_ a god. After I destroy you, I will suck the remaining power out from Michael. Then, I will get revenge for the destruction of my father,Beelzebub!"

"Father!? He's not your father. He's just the one who corrupted you. You're more demented than I thought!" Castiel said, slamming his blade into the ground. "Blade Beam!" He yelled out.

The crescent of White Energy flew out and hit Azazel. In his arrogance, he tried to swipe away at the attack, but was shocked to see it still damaged him badly. He was not used to the pure White Energy that the sword had.

Castiel grinned as he saw that. He then knew the answer to winning the battle would lie within the sword.

Azazel pulled himself up. "Lucky shot, Ethereal. I'm Azazel, Lord of the Demons. I've been alive for millions of years. I was one of the first Demons to come into existence after the birth of our Alpha, Beelzebub. You won't take me down!"

Castiel lifted up the massive sword, resting it on his shoulder so that the blade was behind him. "I don't care how old you are. Eventually, good will always triumph over evil. Holy Flare!"

Several orbs of pure White Energy flew out from Castiel's blade. As they made their way to the ever ready Azazel, Castiel began running toward the Demon himself.

Azazel began channeling his energy into his scythe, destroying each of the orbs as they hit him. Suddenly, he found himself trading blows with Castiel himself, trying to parry the attacks. Before long, he was unable to block both the Holy Flare and Castiel. The magic started bombarding him from all sides, causing him to fall to a knee while crossing his scythe with Castiel.

Castiel then kicked Azazel in the face. Lifting up the blade in front of his own face, he channeled energy into it. His eyes then became pure white, flowing with White Energy.

"Omnislash." Castiel said. He lifted it above his head, before out in front of him again.

Springing forward, he hit Azazel across the chest several times, before jumping into the air and slashing him while soaring back down. He sent several more slashes across him, infusing him more and more with White Energy. With every slash, he saw cut marks appearing over his body. White light starting emanating from those cuts, showing how Azazel was being stuffed with White Energy.

Castiel nodded as he leapt up. "This is the end of you, Azazel." He then landed, impaling Azazel in the chest with his blade. Azazel tried speaking, but couldn't gather the strength. Castiel then ripped the sword out, turning around as Azazel exploded in a bright flash of light. The hundreds of years of pent up energy within him exploded from off the surface of the planet, billowing out into space as a shockwave.

Falling to a knee, Castiel dropped the sword. "It's over… Now, I must release you, my king."

Picking up the sword, standing up and slowly dragging it behind him, Castiel began to walk toward the monolith. He knew that soon, he would be face to face with his king.

Meanwhile, out in space, the light from Azazel's destruction flowed out throughout the space around the planet. The closest planet's inhabitants picked up on the energy reading from their machinery. The planet, Krypton, could see that a large part of the energy had been absorbed by their sun. The scientists on that planet began doing calculations, seeing that the energy from the explosion they knew not came from Azazel's destruction was interacting negatively with their sun. They feared it was driving their sun to going nova in the not too distant future.

At the same time, the rest of the energy hit a wormhole just outside of Krypton's solar system. It was an artificial wormhole, created by the Kryptonians. They made it as a one way entrance to what they termed the Phantom Zone, a pocket dimension where they would store their criminals. With the energy from Azazel's destruction, however, the Phantom Zone's entrance began to glitch. Suddenly, some figures were expelled from the prison. They were war generals and their soldiers who were imprisoned many years prior. They made their way, still in energy form, to a meteor that was drifting nearby.

As they landed, the sixteen war criminals materialized into physical beings.

The one who was their leader, who called himself Scorch, laughed. "We're free… After so many years, we are free."

The one known as Whiger nodded. "Yes, and we have our entire platoon with us."

Osiris fell to a knee, with his seven fellow soldiers following suit. Osiris then spoke, saying, "We are still under your command, my generals. What is our next act?"

Scorch laughed. "We are finally free from the Phantom Zone. Although I would love to get vengeance on the Kryptonians, I fear we may end up back in that horrible prison. I say we go back to doing what we started out doing to begin with: destroying all we oppose the Animal Realm!"

A third general, Snapper, stepped forward. "Beast Warriors: Arise! We have been given a second chance! Let us use it to advance our cause!"

Scorch nodded. "And, as a mark of our determination, and to show everyone that not even the Kryptonians can stop us in their Phantom Zone, I propose we let our titles reflect our domination over our enemies. I proclaim that from now on, you six warriors will be Phantom Beast Warriors, and we generals will be known as the Phantom Beast Generals!"

They all roared in agreement. Snapper then turned to Scorch. "So, what is our first mark?"

"Let us head to where we can get massive firepower. The dinosaurs. Where are they most in abundance?" Scorch asked.

Whiger walked to the leading Phantom Beast General. "Earth. If we are to enroll the dinosaurs, we need to head to Earth."

. . .

Gaia Green was in shock, seeing the new ranger protecting him. "Who are you!?"

Gaia Black laughed. "Glad to be back, that's who I am! Now, let's do this enthusiastically!" He then ran forward, meeting Ecliptor with his axe.

"'Enthusiastically'? That sounds so familiar…" Gaia Green thought aloud. He then picked up his Dolphin Grenade Launcher and began shooting Darkonda as he, once again, fell to his back as he just barely recuperated from the previous barrage of power hitting him.

Dark Specter roared in anger, pounding the ground and sending a shockwave out from him. He slowly began to grow larger than he already was. Within moments, Ecliptor and Darkonda had to run to a corner of the room as Darkonda began filling up the entirety of the space.

Gaia Black jumped up and dug his axe into Dark Specter's hand. Dark Specter then flung the ranger off of him, sending him flying into Gaia Green.

At that moment, the other four Gaia Rangers ran in. They stopped dead in their tracks as they saw pipes and consoles bending and crushing around Dark Specter as he continued to grow.

Gaia Blue grabbed the Green Ranger. "Boy, am I glad to see you're okay."

Gaia Yellow nodded. "Yeah, but we gotta go. Now!"

Gaia Green looked incredulously at his teammates. "But… but we have him right here!"

Gaia Pink shook her head. "No, he has _us_. We have to move out!"

"Wait… Who's that guy!?" Gaia Red said, pointing his Dragon Sword at Gaia Black.

Gaia Black ran to the five rangers. "I'll explain later. You guys are right. We gotta split!"

Dark Specter bellowed. Black flames erupted from his mouth, hitting the rangers hard. They were all thrown against the wall.

Gaia Green looked down. "…You're… Right… ugh… We gotta go!"

"Spirit mode!" Gaia Pink declared. The five main rangers turned into Spirits, sprouting wings. They knew they were still liable to get hit by the Demon King, so they began to rush out of the Dark Fortress as quickly as they could.

"Wait!" Gaia Black yelled. "How do I do that!?"

" _Can_ you do that!?" Gaia Yellow yelled as the other four rangers flew out of the ship.

"I don't know!"

"Just… think… spirity… thoughts?"

The Black Ranger closed his eyes. By that point he had rolled behind a boiler and was hiding as Dark Specter was clawing his way to him. As he concentrated, he felt his body shift from one reality to the Spirit Realm. Energy wings sprouted from his back. He then flew out from the Dark Fortress with the Yellow Ranger. Meeting up with the four others, they rushed to a nearby planet.

Upon landing, the main five rangers demorphed. They looked at the Black Ranger in a mix of curiosity and doubt.

"Who are you? Where did you get those powers!?" Marvelous demanded.

Doc was the one who stepped up then. "Well… Castiel gave me a special Power Card. He said to use it when I was in a hard situation. I figured having to deal with Dark Specter was a big enough deal to do so. I used it and this guy appeared."

"That's right!" Gaia Black declared. "You know who I am!"

"Huh?" Luka asked. She walked up to Gaia Black and pushed him. "Stop being weird. You make no sense!"

"Hey! Calm down! I heard my name and I thought you guys figured it out."

Marvelous squinted. "Who are you!? Do we know you? Why don't you demorph?"

"I'm afraid I'll go back to the Afterlife if I do…"

"Back _from_ the Afterlife? You mean you came back from there!? I didn't think that was possible!" Mihasaid, astounded.

"Yeah… I, actually, can't remember anything about it now. The longer I was here, the more I forgot about it. I really can't remember a thing about it anymore." Gaia Black said.

Joe then stepped forward. "Three of us were Demons and look at us now. I'm sure you can demorph. Now hurry up. You're making me mad."

Gaia Black nodded. "Okay, here goes… Power down!"

As his suit began to disappear, he spun around. After three hundred and sixty degrees, the demorphed Gaia Black Ranger stared at his teammates. They each stared back in shock, jaws dropped.

"I'm back guys! It is I: Guy Kari!"

. . .

On Aquitar, the alarms started blaring.

"What is it, Cestro?" Cestria asked.

He looked at the console and frowned. "We're being invaded."

She smiled. "Hydro Hog?"

Cestro shook his head. "I don't think so. It seems exogenous. Get the other rangers. We head for dry land."

Within moments, the six Alien Rangers were on the surface, looking for the disturbance. It didn't take them long before they found it: Several hundred Putty Patrollers.

Delphine frowned. "What in the world are they?"

Aurico shook his head. "I have never seen such fighters."

"They definitely want a fight, though…" Tideus said.

Corcus got into a fighting stance as he saw the Putties begin to run at them. "You ready guys?"

Delphine nodded. "It's morphin' time! White Aquitar Ranger Power!"

"Black Aquitar Ranger Power!"

"Pink Aquitar Ranger Power!"

"Blue Aquitar Ranger Power!"

"Yellow Aquitar Ranger Power!"

"Red Aquitar Ranger Power!"

Then, in unison, while grabbing their blades on their backs they yelled out, "Rangers of Aquitar: We are united!"

They begin fighting the Putties. The first few dozen fell before them as they were able to hit them hard, but soon the sheer number of footsoldiers began to be daunting.

The White Ranger, limping over to the Red Ranger, grabbed him by the shoulder. "What do we do, Aurico? We are outnumbered!"

The Red Ranger shook his head. "I have never seen such an invasion. This is horrible!"

The Blue Ranger flew through the air, hitting a mountain wall nearby. "This is worst than Hydro Hog!"

Suddenly, several of the Putties' hands morphed, turning into various weapons. A bladed one hit the Pink Ranger across her chest.

"Ahh!" She screamed out in pain.

"What are these things!?" Aquitar Black demanded.

The Yellow Ranger ran through a host of them, narrowly missing getting slashed himself. He leapt off of a rock and up into a tree. He then shook his head. "I don't know… I just hope we can survive!"

Frowning behind her visor as she took two more down, the White Ranger nodded. "So do I, Tideus." And although she said she hoped they would survive, something inside her told her that they couldn't beat the hundreds of foes before them.

The Blue Ranger confirmed her Fears. "Our power levels are dropping! We don't have much more time!"

"We fight to the end, then." The Red Ranger said.

White Ranger nodded. "Yes. To the end."

. . .

On Triforia, Trint frowned as he looked at the massive legion of Putties pouring through the gate. They had been able to breach the guards who stood as sentinel, protecting the way to Triforia. He shook his head, knowing he would need to use every last ounce of his strength to defend his people.

"It's morphin' time! Gold Ranger power!"

The Gold Zeo Ranger appeared. He saw how many enemies he would need to battle, and decided to save Shadow Mode for a later time. He didn't want to use up his energy all at once.

"It's time for a gold rush!" He yelled out. His Power Staff shifted into its warrior mode. He then ran forward, emitting Gold Morphing Energy from his Power Staff as he ran through a large group of Putties. They exploded as he ran by them, his awesome Zeo Power destroying their composition. Large clumps of clay clung to the ground.

"The clean up crew's gonna love that…" He muttered to himself, leaping over a hammer fisted Putty. As he did, though, two Putties lunged at him midair, punching him in the chest and sending him flying to the ground.

He pulled himself up, looking at the mass of Putty Patrollers surrounding him in a circle. He then cracked his neck and shook out his limbs. "Okay, guys. You wanna dance? Let's dance!"

He then got into a fighting stance as the Putty Patrol converged on him all at once.

. . .

Magnus shook his head. The Putty Patrol was descending on Magna as if they were rain from a massive rain cloud. He looked up at his friend, Toro.

"Are you ready for this, Toro?" Magnus asked.

In his language that Magnus had grown to learn fluently, Toro replied by saying, "Of course. I'm always ready for a good fight."

Magnus laughed. "That's what I like to hear." He then ripped off his cloak, revealing the armor he wore almost on a constant basis, for fear that he would be attacked like he was being attacked at that moment.

Toro roared. He looked at the mass of Putties now on the ground, racing forward to hit them. Although he knew an army of Magna's finest warriors were only two miles behind them, Toro's goal was to ensure not one of the Putties would make it to that line of defense.

"Toro – Charge!" Magnus yelled. He watched as the massive animal barreled forward. He stomped on many Putties, leaving them as chunks of broken clay on the ground and his hooves. To Magnus' dismay, however, several dozen had jumped upon him, bringing him down and subduing the powerful beast.

"Hmph. Fine, you overgrown clay statues. It is time to meet my blade. Defender Helmet: Activate!" Magnus' suit crackled with electricity. Although it had been a while, Magnus felt comfortable when the helmet appeared over his head.

Magna Defender, pulling out his Sword, pointed at a large group of Putties running at him. "You will rue the day you decided to dance with death. No one takes foot upon my planet and makes it out in one piece. En guarde!"

The valiant fighter rushed forward, slashing his way through ten Putties within a couple of seconds. He then ducked and rolled through several more, turning his sword into its blaster form. He pointed at several Putties and caused them to explode. Before long, however, he found himself being grabbed by several. They swung him back and forth before releasing, sending him flying through the air. He landed in a heap a few feet away.

He leapt up and dusted himself off. He could hear Toro screaming in pain in the distance, unable to shake off the Putties who were using their bladed hands to continually stab him throughout his massive frame. Magna Defender frowned. He knew it was only a matter of time before Toro would succumb to the several hundred pinpricks being inflicted upon him.

Converting his blaster back into a sword, Magna Defender got back into a fighting stance. He stared at the Putties as they slowly began to approach him. He laughed. "Come get a taste."

. . .

Count Dregon stared in discontent as the Putty Patrol began to raid his camps all throughout Edenoi. He turned to Cyclopter. "Where are these ugly things coming from?"

Cyclopter checked his computer. "It seems their trajectory has their departing vector as Earth."

"Zedd. I should have known. Make a note that we are going to have to give my old friend a visit." Dregon said, turning back to look at the Putty Patrol's chaos on his camps. Cyclopter nodded and walked out of Dregon's personal chambers.

 _I don't need anyone interfering here._ Dregon thought. _The fools here have been slowly digging up the gas deposits beneath the crust, destroying their atmosphere. They won't be able to keep this up much longer. Then, they will give up my father and give me the Masked Rider powers. But now, with Zedd and his stupid interference, this may drive my plans back. The_ _Masked Rider Warriors_ _are sure to intervene, giving the people false Hope. Then we'll go through another war cycle before we end up back with me as the emperor, and the people digging away at their planet. This stupidity is just delaying the inevitable. Zedd will surely pay for this…_

Dregon, already accepting his prediction as fact, went to his study desk. He pulled out some paper and began jotting down notes on how he would make Zedd pay for butting into Dregon's plans.

Meanwhile, on Edenoi, in each camp, anywhere from one to three of the workers mysteriously disappeared. Having kept the covenant that had been started hundreds of years earlier, those who kept their identities secret morphed into their Masked Rider counterparts. All around Edenoi, Masked Riders appeared, defeating the Putty Patrol and sending Rita's forces back.

In their secret base Kamen, in his hoverseat, looked at his wrist tech. He turned to his automated assistant, Alpha 4, and frowned. "It seems like these things are coming from Earth."

"Aye-yi-yi-yi-yi! Earth!? That's where General Zordon is!" Alpha 4 declared.

Kamen nodded. "Yes. I've noticed a lot coming from that planet recently. There is something else that worries me, though."

"What would that be?" Alpha 4 inquired.

"There's a huge energy spike around that planet. According to the data I'm seeing, it seems to be a wormhole from Earth to Dramak 5."

"Aye-yi-yi-yi-yi! Dramak 5!? That must mean—"

Kamen nodded. "Yes, I know. I'm afraid he may be targeting Zordon."

"I thought he was retired, though!" Alpha 4 cried out.

"Doesn't matter. You know how Mondo is. He won't rest until he has what he wants." Kamen replied.

"So, now what do we do?" Alpha 4 asked.

"I need to speak with my father… I don't want to, but I think it may be the only way." Kamen said.

Alpha 4 shook his head. "Aye-yi-yi… What a terrible situation we're in…"

. . .

Meledon Ranger Beast Mode looked around. He found himself in a circular room with reflective metal walls. As he looked, he noticed an odd looking being in a black cloak. He felt an awful energy coming from him. He jumped into a fighting stance, gripping his red saber tightly.

Yoral looked at Meledon Ranger, getting into a fighting stance of his own. "Back off, Zordon."

"Who are you!?" Meledon Ranger demanded. "What do you want with me and why am I here!?"

Yoral laughed. "What? You don't recognize me, old friend? I guess my makeover is a little more extreme than yours… I did more than just add tiger stripes to myself. It's me: Yoral."

Meledon Ranger dropped his sword a little. "Yoral? What happened!?"

Yoral laughed. "I got hit with a nasty spell. Nothing I can't get over, though. Now, how we got here I have no idea. I'm as much in the dark as you are."

"Be in the dark no more, then!" A deep old voice said. The two Eltarians turned to see a man appear in a cloud of smoke.

It was Yoral's turn to ask the questions. "Who are you?"

"I am Mondo the Wizard."

Meledon pointed his blade at him. "What do you want, Mondo?"

Mondo laughed. "To prove that I am the best wizard in the universe. I felt much power coming from the two of you, so I whisked you both away and brought you here. I must say, I thought all Eltarians were Humanoid, but this one here is hardly what I'd consider Human…"

Yoral sneered. "This is just a temporary thing. I'm actually quite the looker."

Mondo laughed. "I'm sure."

Ignoring them, Meledon said, "I don't have time for this. Send me back. My friends are in trouble."

"If you're half the wizard I have heard you are, Zordon, and a quarter of the wizard I felt you had the potential to be from the power spikes I felt from you while I was here on my homeworld then you shouldn't have any trouble making your way home." Mondo told him simply.

"What do you want from us?" Yoral demanded.

"I want to fight you. You may team up against me, or this can be a free for all. I don't care. All I want is to be the last wizard standing." Mondo said. He then shot a bolt of Black Magic at the two Eltarians and laughed.

Meledon Ranger rolled out of the way. Yoral rolled in the opposite direction. As he did, he caught his reflection once again on the metal walls of the room they were in. He sneered at it.

Mondo laughed. "I can tell by how you look at your reflection you were telling the truth: this is a new look for you. How did it happen?"

"If you must know, I got hit with some enchantment while I was in the Caves of Deception under Lord Zedd's Moon Palace." Yoral answered. He then pulled out his wand, ready to fight his captor.

"Ah, yes. The resting place of the Zeo Crystal. Sentinel Knight was very nasty putting that spell of his over the Zeo Crystal. I, myself, would never dream of trying to take on that enchantment. I guess brownie points to you for trying. And I'm sorry to say I don't believe you will be reversing these changes anytime soon: they're permanent." Mondo said.

"Zocato power!" Yoral shrieked, sending a cloud of energy at Mondo. He barely avoided it, leaping into the air and landing in the middle of the room.

Mondo laughed with pleasure. "Very good! I could feel how dangerous that was! I must learn that technique: it is new to me! And, because I like you so much, I'm going to give you a fancier name than whatever you currently call yourself. Hmm… Let's see… Since you became this way in the Caves of Deception, why don't I call you the _Wizard_ of Deception!?"

At that, Yoral shot another wave of Zocato power at Mondo, missing again. He was hit, however, in the back by a blast of White Energy by the Meledon Ranger. The stupid grin on Mondo's face quickly vanished as that happened.

"Okay. I see that we're starting. Let's fight, then!" Mondo said angrily. He then caused a metal facemask to appear on his face. It was molded to appear similar to his own face, to protect it from anything to the face, which for some reason Mondo personally believed to be a "cheap shot".

As Mondo looked to his left, seeing who he called the Wizard of Deception, and on his right the Meledon Ranger, he nodded. "This is happening right now… Let this battle commence!"


	19. Part 0 - Chapter 10: Power Solidifies

**Chapter Ten: Power Solidifies**

Dai Shi frowned as they made their way to the boulder. He felt something odd about it. A bizarre power.

Octomus pointed at it as they finally were within a foot of being able to touch it. "The Sanzu River for this world lies under the Earth's surface, but there are ways to travel to it. Here are one of these gaps that were created to travel there." Then, to Dai Shi's surprise, Octomus placed his hand on the gap and was sucked into it. As Octomus flew into the gap, he grabbed Dai Shi and took him down as well.

Dai Shi looked around in awe. There seemed to be some sort of sky down in this place, though he knew not what it was. There also seemed to be a light source permeating the entire space in which they found themselves, giving everything an eerie red glow. He then looked out and saw a giant lake of red water.

Octomus looked at it and grunted. "Such poison the Sanzu waters are. Their Magical properties cause them to glow. That's where all of the "light" is coming from, if you were wondering."

Dai Shi nodded. "Interesting... Now, where are your captives?"

Octomus gestured for his partner to follow him. After a few feet, turning around a boulder, Dai Shi saw ten different bodies lying with an otherworldly blue glow. Especially against the contrast of the red backdrop of this area.

"Your spell seems to be holding up well."

Octomus nodded. "Good thing, too. The majority of these sorcerers fought on the side of darkness. If any one of them were to awaken before I took control of them, they'd be very vicious."

Dai Shi opened up his bag, pulling out Zen Aku's device meant to control non-sentient animals. He connected the ten wires they had made from the device to each of the beings whom they intended to make into their Ten Terrors.

As Dai Shi finished placing the last of the wires on the Magicians, Octomus turned the machine on. A red light emanated from the machine, being lost in the red glow of the Sanzu River. Both villains watched as the redness lit up the wires and began to mix with the blue glow from Octomus' cryogenic spell.

"Now what?" Dai Shi asked.

Shaking his head, Octomus replied by saying, "I believe we wait until the machine is done. Let's head back to camp before someone notices we are gone. We'll come back sometime tomorrow afternoon."

And with that, they left while Zen Aku's machine slowly began wiping their minds of their prior lives. Once the process was completed, each of the former powerhouses of the Magic Kingdom would be blank slates, ready to be brainwashed with whatever Octomus and Dai Shi would demand of them.

. . .

"The Great City is complete." Regina said, walking into Lothor's tent.

Lothor smiled. "That's what you get when you have super powered people working on a city: fast results."

"With all of the buildings in place, does that mean...?" Regina started.

"Yes. It's time. Gather them all." Lothor said.

Within a matter of minutes, all fifteen Morphing Masters were congregated in the main room of the temple. Tidus frowned as he looked at those around him. Although he desperately wanted the Morphing Masters to be his family, there was something about a good number of his comrades that rubbed him the wrong way. He doubted many of those who professed they wished to defend the universe.

Auron, sensing Tidus' uneasiness, elbowed him as he stood by his side. "What's the matter, kid?"

Tidus shrugged. "I dunno..."

"Just remember: Do what you know is right. It doesn't matter what anyone else does." Auron said, seeing Tidus look around the room with a concerned look.

Tidus raised an eyebrow. "Why would you say that?"

Auron chuckled. "Because you're a good guy, and you look like you're someone who got caught up in the wrong crowd and doesn't know how to get out. I've been there myself: I know the look. Don't worry. As long as you stick to your morals, you'll be good."

"I'm an orphan: I don't know what my morals or ethics are. I was raised in the streets."

Auron shrugged. "Why let that slow you down? Sounds like an excuse to allow yourself to float about, doing whatever you want."

"What!? How can you say that!?"

"Easy. Like I said before: I've been there. Listen, Tidus: Make yourself a set of rules and stick by them. If you believe with all your heart those rules are the best way to live your life, and then you never deviate from them, even if things go badly, you'll know in your heart you did the absolute best you could. You'll never need to wonder if you did the right thing, or if you should have done something. No regrets. Just stick to your morals and ethics and you'll be golden. Understood?" Auron ended by turning and looking into Tidus' eyes.

Tidus looked back and swallowed hard. He truly believed Auron had been in similar situations as he had been, and currently was. The way he spoke and the words he said rang with resonance in what seemed to be Tidus' very soul. He nodded. "Yeah... I understand. Thanks. I'll do that."

As Tidus finished thanking Auron, Lothor walked up to the top of the podium. Looking at it, the Future: Omega Ranger made a note of what the podium was: it was the same podium Bansheera had used in the year 10,000 BC to turn Novact intoDarkonda.

"Attention, my fellow Morphing Masters... The Great City is complete! You've done it!"

For whatever reason they had to be a Morphing Master, whether it was to defend the universe or conquer it, each of the fifteen Morphing Masters smiled. They knew the next step they made would get them closer to ultimate power.

"And now, with the city complete, we can finish the purification of our Greater Power." Lothor then turned his back on the Morphing Masters and placed his hand on the platform he stood upon, bending over to do so. A bolt of Zocato power erupted from his arm. It mixed with the podium, that read Lothor's intent, causing an blast of light in the room. At that moment, after the Morphing Masters were done shielding their eyes, they saw Lothor standing on the podium before them. In his hands was a small, pyramidal box.

Regina shot a look at Killian. He winked at her.

Dai Shi chuckled, elbowing Octomus. Smiling, Octomus nodded.

Lokar looked at Zen Aku, who was staring in awe at the box. He smirked to himself, glad he had metaphorically dug his nails deep into Zen Aku, gaining his trust. He had plans for Zen Aku's inventions.

Lije of the Dawn's expression didn't change. She stared at the box, thinking about her plans to use it to not only free her people from the grasp of the High Ones, but to also have the ultimate power. That ultimate power to fully unleash her abilities and crush everyone around her into submission.

Trueheart frowned. All of this time, he had truly believed the Morphing Masters were to be a force for good. But, something told him there was something truly wrong with the scene before him. Tidus' words to him the other day, about having ultimatepower, began to ring through his mind again. Feeling the evil from the Zocato power, and seeing the look on Lothor's face made Trueheart begin to believe he had put his faith, and powers, to the wrong man.

App looked at Jor and Jakon. He then looked at Lothor and the pyramidal box. He thought about all of the training Lothor had wanted for the two ninjas, and he, too, remembered Tidus' concerns about the power Lothor said they would have as a group. Looking at Lothor again, App couldn't understand why he trusted him to begin with. He didn't look like a person who wanted the best interests of the universe to App, so why would he have trusted him? App was just as concerned as Trueheart.

Looking at Lothor, Jor pursed his lips. He then turned to Jakon. "Hey... What did Lothor want to speak with you about this morning? Did it have to do with ths?"

Jakon shook his head. "No. I had no idea the Greater Power's refinement would be finished today. He just wanted to know how our training was going. I told him well and that we were progressing."

"Did you tell him how impressed App is with me!?" Jor asked.

Jakon laughed. "Yes, I told him everything. Now, can we pay attention to whatever Lothor has planned next?"

Jor nodded and gave his brother a one armed hug. Jakon chuckled to himself at how kind his brother always was. He then hoped that naivety wouldn't be his downfall.

Xan smiled to himself. He pushed up his glasses and looked at each person in the room. He began to wonder what each of them would look like, inside out. He looked at App, who stood stoically next to Jakon and Jor, and wondered how long it would take him to crack and stop being the courageous warrior he had a reputation of being if subjected to torture. Xan had to stifle a giggle before moving his attention back to his goal: the pyramidal box in Lothor's hands.

Auron shook his head. This was beginning to feel more and more like the last group he had ventured with. Upfront, it seemed to be a crusade for righteousness, but in the end the only thing that was driving it was corruption. He was beginning to feel more sure than ever that Lothor was evil. The feeling he was getting was to hard to mistake. He only wondered why he had trusted the clown to begin with.

Tidus couldn't take his eyes off the box. His suspicions, against what he wanted from the Morphing Masters, were all but confirmed. Lothor was in it for the power, and he had used all in the room to get it.

Lothor's smile was wider than he thought it could be. It had worked. He looked at each of the Morphing Master before him. Each and every one of them had fallen into his trap. He looked at those who he knew truly had good hearts and laughed to himself, thinking of the spell he had put on them to get them to trust him. He knew not that because of his interaction with the podium, his spell was beginning to fade. All he knew at that moment was that all that was left was to form the Power Eggs, and he would be done with the Morphing Masters, the fake group he created to create this magnificent power.

Lifting it up above his head, Lothor smiled. "Morphing Masters... I present to you the Greatest Treasure in the Universe!"

. . .

Moltor and Flurious walked into the complex where Mesogog and Dracul kept their stolen goods. They were extremely disheartened to find that Dracul was the guard on duty at that time.

"Why, hello, Mr. Guard." Moltor said, placing a hand on Dracul's shoulder.

Dracul looked down in irritation at Moltor. "What?"

Flurious flashed him a smile. " _We_ , my good man, have a package of goods to deliver to Mesogog. Can you get him for us?"

"No. Just leave it here with me and the stockboys will put it away."

Moltor and Flurious exchanged worried glances. Their plan was contingent on the guard on duty leaving to go bring Mesogog back to them. During that interval, they would quickly run through Mesogog's inventory, steal some armor, and run out of the complex before being caught.

"Uh... Well, I think he'd really love to see this though, so please get him." Flurious said, smiling a very fake smile while clenching his teeth.

"He'll see it when he sees it. Wait... Where _is_ this package? You guys don't have anything with you." Dracul said, straightening up. He always thought of these two as buffoons, but now he was getting the impression they were up to something.

"Uh, well, Moltor has it, so..."

"Me!? I don't have it! I, uh..."

"Well, hehe... You see... It's like this... Uh..."

Dracul growled. "What did you guys think coming in here? Are you really that dumb, wanting to steal from Mesogog!?"

Moltor's eyes widened. "Steal from Mesogog!? I'd never dream-"

Flurious nodded. "Oh, yeah! Hahahaha! Never! Oh! Never! HAHAHA!"

Dracul picked both of them up by the neck and walked them out of the complex. His grip was tight around their throats, and they were on the brink of losing consciousness. Once they were a decent distance from the door, Dracul tossed them as far as he could. They landed in a heap about thirty feet away.

"You're no longer welcome here! Now go before I rip you apart!" Dracul yelled out after them.

"Now what!?" Moltor yelled in frustration, jumping up and brushing himself off.

"How am I supposed to know!? You're the one who didn't bring anything to present to Mesogog!"

"What!? That wasn't apart of the plan!"

"It was _implied_!"

Moltor then stopped. He looked down at a paper that had landed on Flurious' feet. He bent over and picked it up. He read it outloud: "Grand Dedication Ceremony Tomorrow! The Great City!"

Flurious ripped the paper out of Moltor's hand. "Brilliant! We'll strike tomorrow! We'll slip in as guests and take our loot then!"

"Most excellent..." Moltor said, nodding in approval.

"Now... to go get some fancy clothes..." Flurious said, smiling.

. . .

Paige and her sisters smiled as the Alphas reconvened in their cabin. She lifted up the flyer Lothor had distributed throughout the nearest galaxies by Ivicar, Zurgane, and Octoroo.

"What is that?" Fenrir asked, lifting up an eyebrow.

"An invitation to the event of the year: The Dedication of Lothor's Great City."

Cujo jumped up onto the table and howled. "Alright! This will be the perfect opportunity to strike."

Prue, with a broom, walked over to the table and hit Cujo. "Get off my table! And yes... That's exactly what we were thinking."

Deviot looked around the room and laughed to himself. Although he had nothing personal against anyone in the room, he knew he would need to lead them all to their destruction soon, so he could be the ultimate power in the universe.

Dracula looked around, as well. He had a plan, and soon would be the time to implement it. He smiled as he imagined how it would happen. He knew he would soon be the ultimate Monster.

Serrator raised a hand. "What's the battle strategy?"

Paige smiled. "I'm glad you asked..."

. . .

Beelzebub frowned as he saw the many ships and spacestations surrounding Dawn, the planet of the People of the Dawn. He gripped the Orb of Doom tightly.

"Spirit mode..." He said solemnly. He, Goresakubo, Azazel, Diabolico, and LokiD quickly became a fine matter. Although he knew this would make their attack easier, he also knew it wouldn't make them invincible. The High Ones had great power, and could still hurt them while they were in Spirit mode.

The five Demons soared forward, avoiding the grand majority of defense sensors. Then, when they were close, Hades, the High One with a deep tap to the Afterlife, frowned. He felt them.

"Cerberus! Attack!" He yelled out.

His three headed canine, Cerberus, feeling his master's call, barrelled out of the hangar bay doors of the spacestation he called home. Narrowing his eyes, he looked and saw the five Demons approaching. He snarled and shot volleys of fire at them.

The five Demons narrowly avoided the attack. Many High Ones began filing out of their ships, floating into space to attack Beelzebub and his band of terror.

Floating nearby, Mythical Master frowned under his hood. "No, no... This is not good. Not for my plans..." Then, tapping his wrist tech, he made himself visible. On his platform, he swooped down in between Beelzebub's crew and the oncoming armada making their way to fight the Demons.

Mythical Master raised up a hand. "Stay behind me, Beelzebub. I have this..."

An orb of power formed in his hand. He then shot it out into the approaching wall of High Ones. At that moment, they were all frozen in time.

Diabolico was shocked. "How did you do that!?"

"It's a time spell I know. It will only last a few moments. Now hurry... Show the universe your powers. We will meet again when the time is right." And with that, Mythical Master touched a button on his wrist tech and disappeared.

"You heard him. Move out!" Azazel cried out. They then zoomed down to the planet. As they landed, Beelzebub placed the Orb of Doom on its surface and laughed. He knew that soon, the People of the Dawn would be no more, and that the universe would cower before his Demon force.

As Beelzebub did this, Mythical Master laughed. "Yes, my Demon friends. And now that you see me as a friend, soon you will be doing _my_ bidding!"

. . .

Future: Omega Ranger focused not only on his Third Eye ability, but also on his "bookmark" on September. Suddenly, his mind was taken to what looked like a prison yard. Grey was the predominant color: the rocks, walls, gravel that covered the grand majority of the ground, and the uniforms of the prisoners. His mind then focused in on one of those prisoners: September.

As Omega did this, tying his brain into his console, the time monitor to index this even began malfunctioning.

"Sophie? What's happening?" Omega asked, frowning behind his visor.

Sophie's voice rang through Omega's helmet. "I have no clue. The Hall is having a very difficult time pinpointing a year to where this September guy is."

"Wait... what? That's impossible. I've indexed hundreds of times, and I've never had that problem."

"I don't know what to tell you, Sam. The Hall cannot pinpoint a time for where September is. Actually, this _has_ happened before." Sophie said.

Omega was taken aback. "Really? When?"

"When September was saved by those people he called his friends. There was no time assigned to that place."

Omega frowned. "What in the world is going on? Are these Watchers and Freelancers using tech that's more advanced than Time Force?"

"Like I said: I don't know."

Omega sighed. "Any news from Earth? How about getting me out of here?"

"No and no. Right now I have Dr. William Cranston from Aquitar trying to crack the firewall around Earth, but he's getting nothing as well. And as far as we can see still, you're stuck."

Before Omega could reply, he saw something happen to September and the other prisoners. They all suddenly fell to the ground, writhing in pain. A green light emanated from each of them, being drained into the ground. After a few moments, it was over. Reading September's mind, Future: Omega Ranger was able to determine that it was a daily ritual that the prisoners had to endure... When the prison would drain a portion of their prisoners' Lifestream.

. . .

Lothor put the Greatest Treasure in the Universe into his box with the other artifacts he needed to become the God of Magic. He wished he could use it right then, but he knew that the universal powers weren't ready to tap yet. He knew he had to be meticulous about everything.

Ivicar then walked in. "You wanted to see me, Master Lothor?"

Lothor nodded. "Yes. I want to speak with you about your training. Is it still in secret?"

Ivicar smiled. "Of course. I don't want Regina knowing."

"Good, good. Soon, she will be useless to us and you will be able to take your place by my side as my apprentice. Also, have you read my lecture series? You'll need to know how to be a good businessman in the universe I will make if you are to represent me as my Vice President."

"Yes, Master Lothor. I have been practicing your Magic and learning all of the things which you want me to know."

"Fantastic. Ivicar, I promise you that if you follow my words, you will have great power. It will literally change you into a new person, making everyone else around you mere ants. No one will be able to stop you!" Lothor said, purposefully omitting the threat a Nathadian would pose to him.

"I put my trust in your words, my master." Ivicar said, bowing a bit.

Lothor laughed. "Now hurry and get ready. In a few hours our festival will start... and the next part of my plan. This party will bring us great power!"

"Greater than the Greatest Treasure?" Ivicar asked, surprised.

Lothor grinned. "Not greater... just different. Soon, the Power Eggs will be ours, Ivicar. Then we just need to get the Crystal of Doom back and we can put into motion our crusade for universal conquest!"


	20. Part 3 - Chapter 10: Personality Split

**Chapter Ten: Personality Split**

Meledon Ranger pointed the head of his saber and shot a blast of power out at Mondo. As Mondo dodged the blast, he shot some Black Magic of his own out to Yoral, who was hit square in the chest. He fell onto his back, shouting out in pain.

"My turn… Zocato power!" Yoral screamed out. A small bit of power flew out from him, but not what he was accustomed to. "What!?"

Mondo laughed. "What's wrong, Wizard? Out of gas?"

"Zocato power!" Yoral screamed again, having yet again only a small spark disperse from him.

Meledon Ranger rolled behind a column, doing a scan of Yoral. He could see him flowing with Nathadian Magic, and his "stores" of Zocato power dropping drastically. Meledon then shouted out to his rival, saying, "Yoral, scan yourself…"

After a quick scan, Yoral chuckled. "It must've been those spells in the Caves of Deception… I've lost my Zocato power!" Yoral screamed in anger at that thought. He felt like he had wasted the past two thousand years, trapped in a vat trying to perfect his Zocato power, only to have it taken from him.

 _At least there's still the Reunion…_ He thought to himself. He then sneered again, not understanding what that phrase meant and why he was having those thoughts.

As he had his last thought, he got hit again by Mondo, sending him flying through the end to eventually slam into a wall. Meanwhile, Meledon Ranger scanned Mondo, trying to figure out if he could learn anything about him. He seemed to be a normal humanoid, who happened to be well versed in Magic.

 _Well… this should be easy…_ Meledon thought, leaping through the air toward Mondo.

"Barrier! Shell! Haste! Protect! Regen!" Mondo cried out. Meledon was extremely shocked. He had never seen anyone be able to cast so many spells in such a quick succession. He sent his blade down at Mondo, but felt a hard bubble around Mondo absorb most of the hit. He leapt backwards, shooting beams of energyout from his blade as he landed.

Mondo pointed a hand at Meledon. "Flare!"

Giant balls of bright flames appeared around Meledon. He attempted to duck and roll out of the way, but he felt the intense heat of the orbs. As he rolled, he fell onto his face. Sweat was pouring out of every pour. He began to feel as if he was being cooked alive.

"Chill out, Zordon… I got this, old timer." Yoral said, shooting an advanced Ice spell toward Meledon Ranger, eliminating the fiery spell.

"So… You saved him, huh? I guess it would need to have the both of you together to take me on…" Mondo said, full of pride.

Walking up next to Meledon, Yoral helped him up. "Don't think this changes anything between us, Zordon. I'm just helping you right now to make sure I can take you out myself later."

Meledon rolled his eyes behind his visor. "My hero…"

Yoral then turned to face Mondo. "I don't know how much power I have left, but hopefully it's enough to destroy you… Zocato power! Ancient source: Amaradon force!"

Gathering the last bit of his Zocato power, Amaradon Ranger was formed around Yoral. He cracked his neck and got into a fighting stance.

"Wow. Power Rangers. And your suits match so well. Hmm… Let's see how you do against my Ultima!" Gathering his Lifestream together inside of himself, he shot out a blast of Ultima from his body. The wave of green erupted from each of his pores, flying out to meet the reluctant partners.

They both scanned the Magic attack, trying to figure out what they could do to stop themselves from being hit with its powerful force. Upon finishing the scan, they both came to the same conclusion.

"Meledon conversion!"

"Amaradon conversion!"

Then, in unison, they cried out: "Ultima Armor!"

Coating their suits, a green shine emanated from them. Then, pieces of armor appeared on their shoulders, shins, forearms, and torso, fitting their bodily forms. The two then rushed forward to break through the Ultima spell.

"Argh!" They both cried out, being shot backwards and repelled by the Ultima wave. It was encroaching upon them as they ran to the back of the circular room in which they found themselves.

"Now what!?" Meledon said, looking at Amaradon.

 _The power of the Reunion…_ Amaradon thought. He then stood up. "I'll handle this. Amaradon Conversion: Negative Lifestream!"

Black strands of light began to whisp around Amaradon Ranger. His Ultima Armor turned black as the cells inside of him, that were released into his body from the wand the Ghost of Darkness had given him, began to flow around him, ready to attack Mondo's Lifestream attack.

"Negative Ultima Armor!" Amaradon yelled, running forward. As the Negative Lifestream hit the Ultima spell, the two seemed to cancel each other out, destroying the wall of power Mondo had sent toward them. Amaradon Ranger then clutched his head as it throbbed in pain.

As Mondo fell to a knee, exhausted by his Ultima spell and shocked that it didn't greatly incapacitate the two Power Rangers, Meledon Ranger scanned Amaradon. He could see the waves of Negative Lifestream that he had unleashed to destroy Mondo's attack beginning to flow unopposed through Amaradon's body. His scan told him that Amaradon Ranger was infected with some viral cells, and that because he tapped into that power, they were attacking each of his normal cells, converting his physiology into something… different.

Meledon Ranger frowned before running to Amaradon. "Yoral…? Yoral!?"

Amaradon Ranger's suit began flickering in and out as the last of his Zocato power left him. He grunted and pushed Meledon away. "I know of no Yoral… All I know is that I must serve my master, the Ghost of Darkness! I am the Wizard of Deception, and no one will stop me in my plans to bring about the Reunion!"

Pulling out his wand from his robe, he created a vortex. He then stepped into it, transporting himself back to Lord Zedd's throne room. As it began to close, Meledon Ranger jumped through it himself.

"No!" Mondo screamed, shooting a Gravity spell at Meledon Ranger. The spell mixed with the Wizard of Deception's portal, sending Meledon Ranger to a different dimension.

Mondo then sighed, realizing he was alone and had been unable to even put a dent into the two powerful sorcerers. "Had they not been distracted, they could have struck me down…" Saddened with himself, he turned around and caused a door to open in his circular room. Walking out of the room, he found himself in the woods outside of his mansion on his homeworld, Dramak 5. His servant, Zydos, ran up to him.

"Master Mondo! We have a problem!"

"What is it, Zydos?" Mondo asked, irritated by what he termed as an embarrassing defeat. He didn't want to have to deal with other problems so soon afterward.

Zydos pointed up. "That."

Looking up, Mondo saw what looked like a giant cloud floating high up in the sky. He frowned. He could seeRita Repulsa hovering next to the cloud on her penny-farthing. He could see her shooting her Magic at the cloud from her staff.

As the Magic hit the cloud, creating a portal from Finster's lab to Dramak 5, hundreds of Putty Patrollersbegan to descend upon the citizens of the planet.

Mondo sneered. "Let's head over to my lab. I'm too weak right now to be able to fight back. We'll need some of Gara's tech."

Zydos' eyes were wide with surprise as Mondo said this. "But, sir! That stuff isn't ready yet! We thought we had another couple of months before we started your campaign to take on Dark Specter!"

"Well, obviously someone is trying to go at universal conquest before us. We're going to need to ramp our efforts up." Mondo said, looking up as the Putty Patrol was getting closer to his area.

The two then walked into their mansion. Zydos ran ahead to inform Gara of Mondo's approach. As Mondo walked down his marble encrusted stairs to the laboratory beneath his massive estate, he frowned.

 _My power will be seen. I don't know how Zordon and Yoral were able to fight me off so well, but it won't happen again. Soon, with the power of the machines Gara is making for me, I will be the ruler of all!_

 _. . ._

The Wizard of Deception, now nothing but a drone to the Ghost of Darkness, appeared before Lord Zedd.

"And who are you, you ugly excuse for a man?" Lord Zedd demanded.

"I am the Wizard of Deception. I have been sent here on errand from the Ghost of Darkness. I wish to have your services."

"Who is this Wizard of Darkness!?" Zedd questioned angrily. He was not happy with having someone just enter into his throne room, unopposed.

"I am the Wizard of _Deception_ , and I have been sent here by the _Ghost_ of Darkness." He said simply, trying to help Zedd get past his confusion.

"I don't remember anything about a Ghost of Darkness…" Lord Zedd said, thinking as he tapped the rim around his head with his chrome "fingernails". "Is he one of Rita's generals?"

The Wizard of Deception, deciding to live up to the title given to him by Mondo the Sorcerer, figured it would be better for Zedd to believe Rita had in fact sent the Ghost of Darkness to Zedd instead of explaining to him that he was a mysterious skull in the Underground Temple below Earth's surface. He nodded and said, "Yes. She created him a few centuries ago to aid in the conquest of the universe, and the final arc of his mission is coming forth. I need you to be able to help us in the final phase."

"What is it that this general of mine needs, then?" Zedd asked curiously.

Meanwhile, from the Underground Temple, the Ghost of Darkness felt and heard everything happening with his new herald, the Wizard of Deception, through the cells he had placed inside of him.

 _Interesting development… I didn't realized that he, too, would become a mindless servant to me… This is fantastic!_ The Ghost of Darkness thought. Then, focusing, he sent the Wizard of Deception a message.

Repeating the message to Zedd, the Wizard of Deception said, "I wish to have your services in relocating the Ghost of Darkness to somewhere more conspicuous. He is in danger."

"Really? How so?" Zedd asked.

Waving his wand, the Wizard of Deception created a hologram before Zedd. The hologram, using the special Magic and power the Ghost of Darkness had, was able to show the patch of ground right above the Underground Temple and rip through December's stealth cloak.

"Who is that bald man?" Zedd inquired.

"A very troublesome individual who is interfering with the Ghost of Darkness' mission. My master wants to be able to get away from him, but needs some help distracting him. I need one of your best generals."

Zedd nodded. "Goldar!"

Goldar came into the room, sword in hand. "Yes, my master?"

"Go with the Wizard of Deception. Ensure you help him with whatever he needs. Now!"

"Yes, Lord Zedd." Goldar replied. And with that, the Wizard of Deception teleported Goldar and himself to the area above the Ghost of Darkness' temple.

"Er… I don't see anyone here. What are we doing?" Goldar asked.

Zedd watched from up on the Moon Palace as the Wizard of Deception waved his wand, causing December to appear. "Attack him."

"Yes!" Goldar stated, running forward to attack December.

December, shocked that anyone could see him, dodged the blow right before it was too late. He pulled out his pocket device. "I am having technical difficulties. I need extraction!"

"We are sending the Freelancers to your area immediately." A voice from the other end replied. "Also, can you not deal with the problem?"

"No. Somehow someone from this universe has seen me and—" December, with his quick reflexes, used his arms to block and move Goldar's arms away from him before kicking him. Goldar flew through the air, landing on his back in pain. "—and I am being attacked by someone who may be of utmost importance to the Pattern. I fear interfering with him."

As the Watcher tried to get away from Goldar, the Ghost of Darkness focused on his temple that had been embedded in that spot of the Earth since he was displaced from his original home. It was the same spot of Earth that he had been in when the Guardian had left the Hall of Legends and had changed the timeline, causing a chain reaction of events that placed Zordon in as a Morphing Master instead of Burai. Focusing in on his powers, the Ghost of Darkness teleported the temple and himself out from Earth for the first time in many, many years, to another planet within the same galaxy.

As that happened, the Wizard of Deception pointed his wand at December. "I believe it is time for you to go back to wherever you came from…" And with one wave of his wand, he activated December's pocket device.

"But, how did you do this?" December said, confused. The wizard then shot a beam of energy at him, throwing him into the Time Door he created. With one final burst, he closed the Time Door.

Goldar ran over to him. "Let's get out here!" He then slammed his sword into the ground, causing both him and the Wizard of Deception to teleport back to Lord Zedd's throne room.

Zedd stood up, clapping. "My, my… Now _that_ was impressive. How did you eliminate that bald man? He seemed very powerful, being able to take down Goldar."

Goldar sneered. "He wasn't human. He smelled… different."

Through the influence of the Ghost of Darkness, the Wizard of Deception was prompted on what he should say. "You're right: He's not human. I don't know _what_ he is, though. What I did to him? I sent him back in time. Simple as that." The Wizard of Deception looked to see how his lie would sink in with Lord Zedd. He didn't know how to explain that the Watchers actually lived outside of time and that he had just sent December back to the place from whence he came.

"The capability to time travel… Brilliant! Come with me! I have some people who I want you to rid me of!"Zedd said happily.

The wizard shook his head. He then told his next lie that he was prompted to by the Ghost of Darkness. "I can only do such a powerful spell every so often, before my… time power is exhausted. But trust me, this event was definitely worth it."

At that moment, Rita came into the room. "I just finished sending another squadron to another planet and… Who is that!?"

"I am the herald of one of your generals: the Ghost of Darkness." The Wizard of Deception said, hoping his con wasn't up.

"Yes, Rita. I am very impressed with the power this wizard has, and I am very impressed with you for recruiting his master!" Zedd said.

Rita paused for a moment. "Why… yes! Of course! And how is—"

"The Ghost of Darkness."

"Yes, the Ghost of Darkness! How has it been since I… created…? Him?"

The Ghost of Darkness then had an idea. He caused the Wizard of Deception to say, "Come with me then… I will have you speak with him now."

Zedd nodded. "Yes, Rita. Go and speak with him and return when you have learned of how his mission has been going!"

"Hehe… Yes, Lord Zedd!" Rita said, nervous. She was feeling as if she was over her head as she walked over to the Wizard of Deception. He then waved his wand, teleporting the two of them to meet up with theGhost of Darkness.

As Rita disappeared, Lord Zedd walked out to his balcony. He turned his head and focused as hard as he could, setting his sights on Dramak 5 to see how things were. As his "eyes" looked at the planet's surface, he noticed the circular dome next to Mondo's mansion, the dome where Mondo practiced, and also where he had Zordon and Yoral trapped to fight him. He could feel an odd Magical presence around the dome. Interested, he changed his vision to see into another plane of existence. As he did, he discovered a dimensional gap on Dramak 5. Looking into it, he found a familiar face: Zordon of Eltar.

 _Hmm… What are you up to?_ Zedd thought, watching Zordon walk around. He knew not that Zordon had been zapped to that dimension because of his battle with Mondo and Yoral. He then laughed. _No one knows he is there, I'm sure, because of the dumb look of confusion on his face. What better way to eliminate him than when he is alone, without back up?_

"Finster!" Zedd cried out.

From his lab, where he was studying the schematics he drew up of Cyclopsis, Finster ran over to Zedd. "Yes, my lord?"

"Give me a legion of Putty Patrollers… and make them… _powerful_ …"

Finster nodded and ran into his laboratory. As he was sculpting some of the Putties, he decided to pack a few of them with extra clay. "These will be very powerful, with their extra clay… but they are rather ugly… I guess I need to betray aesthetics for power when it comes to these Commander Putties."

As Finster put them into the Monster-Matic, in the interdimensional gap on Dramak 5, Zordon looked around. He had been in the forest like setting for a while, but was still unable to make heads or tails of where he was. He had tried morphing in the area a couple of times, but his powers were low after having gone through the fight with Mondo, and the Nathadian Magic in him did not wish to put more strain on his body, since his Lifestream levels were low.

He looked around, then realized he could scan the area with his Nathadian Magic. Upon a few moments of scanning, he realized he was in a different dimension.

"Great… Exactly what I need…" He muttered to himself. As he took a step forward, he felt something behind him. Looking, he saw a group of Putty Patrollers running at him, a glowing vortex where they were. The vortex was what Zedd used to get the Putties to the dimension in which Zordon found himself.

"Well, I guess _this_ would be exactly what I needed…" Zordon said, getting into a fighting stance. He reached down and grabbed a gnarled branch, trying to ward the Putties off. He hit a few of them, but was soon overrun.

"What am I supposed to do!?" Zordon thought aloud, as the Putties surrounded him. He then focused on the Putties, scanning them to see if he could figure out anything about them.

The only thing he could find weakness wise to the mysterious fighters, outside of physically beating them down, was some sort of aversion to certain high pitches. _Well, now what!? Am I, an old man, supposed to_ _scream_ _at them?_

He then began desperately scanning the area, hoping to find something with which he could use to physically beat the Putties away. He was grabbed from behind by a Putty, and as he was he did a quick scan while being punched and kicked by the Putties circling him. Then, his scan fell on one particular plant. A squash.

 _A plant that, when uprooted, let's out a startling cry. This process occurred during its process of natural selection throughout the years. It is there to protect it from being destroyed upon its being uprooted before it is ripe._ The scan revealed to Zordon.

Zordon cocked up an eyebrow. _Well… That's convenient…_ He then threw his hand into his pouch. He could feel a loose thread in it.

"Meledon conversion: rope…" He whispered. The small thread in the pouch then turned into a lasso. He threw the lasso and, using his Nathadian Magic, caused the lasso to grab one of the squash plants and bring it to him. A loud, high pitched scream emanated from the plant. The Putties instantly grabbed their ears in pain. Before long, the Putties were destroyed, unable to take the pain of the squealing.

Zordon then stood up, blood coming down from his mouth. He limped his old and bruised body to the vortex and walked in. Before long, he was back on Dramak 5, out of the dimensional gap, holding the squash in his hand as it still screamed. He was shocked to find many Putties running around, causing chaos. Before long, however, all of the Putties either disintegrated or teleported away, due to the high pitched scream emanating from the plant.

Zordon laughed although his ears, too, were hurting. "Nice going, my Singing Squash. Now, let's head home…" Looking around, he saw Mondo's mansion. He knew not it belonged to Mondo, and figured he could go there and ask for help. As he got closer, however, he found a fountain in front of the mansion, surrounded by nicely kept lawn ornaments and designed shrubbery. The statue in the midst of the fountain was one of Mondo himself.

Zordon groaned. "Perfect… Now what?" He hobbled out of the garden, wondering what his next course of action would be. Then, he saw something: Mondo's personal spaceship. He smiled.

"Well, I'm sure that, being the gracious host he is, he wouldn't mind providing me a way back home." Zordon said, limping over to the ship.

. . .

The Aquitar Rangers fell to the ground, gasping for air. They were exhausted.

"We can't give up!" The Black Ranger declared.

Pink Ranger shook her head. "I… I can't keep going…"

White Ranger forced herself up. "We must!"

Red Ranger lifted himself up as well. "For Aquitar…"

Yellow Ranger tried to stand, but fell back down. "… I'm so tired…"

The Putty Patrol then nodded to each other, rushing forward to take down the Rangers of Aquitar once and for all.

As the rangers braced themselves, a high pitched squeal could be heard, echoing throughout the landscape. All in the area, including the rangers, grabbed at their ears to block out the sound. Within moments, all of the Putties were gone. Then, the sound stopped. The rangers, confused, looked around. They saw a ship landing nearby. Cautiously, they made their way to it.

Upon getting to the ship, a door opened. The familiar high pitched scream could be heard flowing out of the ship as Zordon walked out, falling to the floor. The rangers were not only surprised to see Zordon, but also that he was badly beaten.

"Zordon!? What happened!?" Cestro asked, having demorphed. The other rangers followed suit.

"I… I saw you were being… attacked from out in space… I came to help with the Singing Squash…" Zordon said, while beginning to lose consciousness. "I heard radio scans… I need to go and help the other planets in danger… More Putties…"

Delphine frowned. "Tideus? Cestria? Take Zordon down to the medical bay. Aurico and Corcus? Take this ship and make sure the other planets being attacked by these 'Putties' get the same sound treatment we got."

Saluting Delphine, the four rangers ran to go their separate ways. As Zordon was teleported away with Cestria and Tideus, Cestro looked to Delphine. "Now what?"

"The Resistance gave us our jurisdiction: to help out and be a support to alien races when the time was needed. Right now, our position as Alien Rangers seems to be in high demand. Let us go to the command base and see if we can help direct Aurico and Corcus in the right direction to help those who are in need." Delphine answered. And with that, they teleported down to their command base.

. . .

"What!?" Jak-Am said, astounded. "We have a mission to go around and protect all endangered species. If we back off from Earth, the Council will close the case and no one will stop the destruction of these beautiful animals!"

Cris-Re smiled. "I know, I know… Jak… I'm saying that it has been _my_ last mission, as in me and the other rangers. We can't go on. Not like this."

Jak-Am looked at him, confused. "What will happen to Earth then? Will we wait for someone to take your place?"

Cris-Re shook his head. "If we report that, even with Power Ranger tech, that we lost, the Council will pull the plug on the Earth Project. We can't let them know."

"Well then… What are we going to do!?"

Cris-Re then closed his eyes. A red light shown in his hands as suddenly a small, circular crystal appeared. Looking at Jak-Am, Cris-Re said, "This is the Red Falcon Animal Crystal. These crystals were given to us many centuries ago by Animus, the then King of the Animal Realm. After Power Rangers began emerging in the universe, _these_ are what our scientists used as our energy source, tapping us into the Morphing Grid."

Jak-Am was shocked. All Kryptonians knew there was some sort of secret power source for the Beast Watch Rangers, but they knew not what it was, since the government kept it confidential. "Why are you telling me this? I'm not supposed to know this information."

Cris-Re smiled. "All Power Rangers should know what fuels their power."

"But I'm not a—"

"As of right now, you are the new Red Falcon Ranger." Cris-Re said, placing the Red Falcon Animal Crystal into Jak-Am's hand.

Jak-Am was shocked once again. He could feel the power emanating from the crystal through his body. "I… I can't accept this…"

"Too late. I already programmed the crystal to bond with whoever I handed it to. You are now officially the Red Falcon Ranger. Now, get the others here on board with you… It's time that they, too, received their new powers."

Not wanting to disobey his superior, Jak-Am turned around, walking slowly out of the medical bay. He looked at Tob-Zu, still looking at the medical charts.

"Dude… You look as white as a sheet. What's wrong?"

"Everything, Tob… Everything." Jak-Am said, before telling Tob-Zu to go to Cris-Re's bed. He didn't feel ready to be a ranger, and he didn't know what to do having been appointed the leader. For him, it was all wrong, and he didn't know how he would cope with this new responsibility. He just hoped he wouldn't lead them all to their destruction.

. . .

Castiel swung his sword with all his might. As it hit the monolith, White Energy poured out, being absorbed by the structure. Instantly, it cracked open. Whatever spell that had been placed on it when Michael was originally sealed could not withstand the great force behind the massive sword Castiel was wielding.

Strands of white light erupted from the monolith. Within moments, Michael stood behind Castiel, freed for the first time in millions of years. He took off his hood and sneered. "How long have I been in there?"

"Too long, my king…" Castiel said, bowing before Michael and handing him back his sword.

"What is my brother up to?" He asked.

Castiel cringed. "He… was destroyed two thousand years ago by that Witch, Regina. She now goes by the name Bansheera."

Michael's face dropped. He then stiffened back up. "No matter. As long as the Book of Prophecy and Xenotome's prophecies are unchanged, I _will_ battle "… on Earth… to end the Holy War."

Castiel stared at him in shock. "What? You still remember that?"

"It's the only thing I've thought about… Either Beelzebub will quit his Demonhood, or he will fall by my sword. Where is my crown?"

"After the Morphing Masters took it, I left it with them. We didn't need such power." Castiel replied, beginning to see Michael was still on the same wavelength that we was on when he had been first sealed.

Michael turned away. "That's fair. I was… _unstable_ with it. Good thinking. So… Let us go forward with our plans."

Castiel looked at him. "Which would be…?"

Michael's wings sprouted from his back. He lifted his hood back up and over his head. "To make sure the Holy War has its rightful end on Earth."

. . .

As the Z Putties jumped about, dodging the Five Fingers of Poison and their attacks, they began to dance.

Stingerella stopped in her tracks. "What? Are they… dancing?"

Rantipede hit one, knocking it down before it jumped back up. "It would seem that way… Stop mocking us!"

Suddenly, a giant fire descended from the skies. The Z Putties and Five Fingers of Poison were instantly obliterated. Lord Zedd, feeling the disruption, took aim with his visor at the scene from up on the moon. He was shocked to see sixteen unknown warriors appear. At that same moment, his Z Putties reassembled next to his throne. Their heads were bowed as they recharged themselves with their own spirit power.

Scorch looked around. "Good to know our Rinzin power is still intact… Hmmm… Everything here looks… different."

Whiger nodded. "I see no evidence of dinosaurs, either. I wonder how long we were in the Phantom Zone…"

"Well, let's look around." Snapper said. "Phantom Beast Warriors? Scout out toward the south. Phantom Beast Generals? Follow me."

As they separated, Lord Zedd sneered. "Who are these warriors? This Rinzin power they speak of seems to be very powerful…"

As this occurred, Dai Shi roared in fury with all of his dragon heads.

"What is the matter, Master Octomus?" Octomus asked, his voice bellowing throughout the cavernous landscape.

"Someone interfered with my Rin Shi as they were battling Zedd's new henchmen."

"When did Zedd receive new henchmen?"

"Just now, apparently. Scorpina told me about them. She was spying on him when they were created. They were giving the Five Fingers of Poison a run for their money, but I was sure we could've beaten them! But then, some random warriors appeared and destroyed them!"

"Don't worry, Dai Shi…" Octomus said. He stuck out a tentacle, dropping at Dai Shi's feet more headornaments. They each had adorned on them the animals that each member of the Five Fingers held as their Animal Spirits. "Just attach these to the forehead of any of your Rin Shi and they will gain the spirit of those that comprised your Five Fingers."

Dai Shi grunted. "I need to up the stakes. It seems like Earth is becoming a hot spot for activity."

"I believe it is because the Liaria:  
Liarians have finished placing the Greatest Treasure in the Universe into the Earth's core." Octomus surmised.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Dai Shi asked.

"I believe its power is unconsciously attracting many people from across the galaxy. I won't be surprised if we have several giant wars here soon."

"Then we need to get to the Greatest Treasure immediately." Dai Shi said.

"Agreed, my friend. We need to get the Greatest Treasure soon." Octomus agreed.

. . .

Mondo looked at the machines before him and frowned. "They aren't ready yet? Well, when _will_ they be ready?"

Gara frowned. "I haven't been able to get the machines enough power to get them to start up. The advanced AI you asked for needs a lot of juice to get them operational upfront. I've been trying to harness enough power, but… I need quite a bit more time."

Mondo pointed at the big machine in the center. "So, if you are able to get the main one running, he will act as an alternator and spread the power throughout the rest of the empire?"

"Yes, master. But like I said: I don't have enough power."

Mondo sneered. "I need them now." He then pointed a hand out to the main machine and shot a Magical blast at it. A giant green cloud emanated from Mondo, into the machine.

Zydos ran and caught Mondo as he began to fall to the ground. "Master!? Are you okay!?"

He nodded. "I just need some time to rest now… This day has drained me of a lot of my spirit."

Gara ran to the machine as it began to light up. "What did you do!? It's working!"

Mondo smiled. "I gave some of my own life essence to that machine. A part of me lives on in him now. That should be all that the Machine Empire needs to get operational. Now, Zydos… take me to my room so I can rest."

As Zydos carried Mondo the Sorcerer away, Gara smiled as she looked at her main robotic creation. She could see that the wires connecting him to her other Robots were started to get a green glow, meaning the energy from the main Robot was spreading to the others. "Well, well. The king of the Machine Empire is coming online! Fantastic! And, since you share some of my master's life force, I shall name you… King Mondo!"

King Mondo's eyes flashed. He then lifted himself up, having been leaning against a console. Gara clapped with glee. King Mondo turned to her and said, "I am King Mondo, ruler of the Machine Empire. Soon, my regime will swoop down and destroy all who stand in my way!"

. . .

"Zocato!" Grizzaka yelled. The attack hit Robo KnightRobo Knight hard, sending him flying then swooped down, bombarding Robo Knight with even more damage.

"Robo Knight!" Ninja Storm Pink yelled, jumping over Jellica and running to her fellow Rangers' aid. "Are you okay?"

"I'm a Robot. I will be just fine." Robo Knight said, forcing himself up.

As the Overlords approached, the Pink Ranger hugged Robo Knight. "You're more than a Robot to me…" She then turned to those approaching her. Behind them, she could see Magicians, knights, and ninjas fighting the hoards of Rin Shi and Hidiacs Octomus and Dai Shi had unleashed. She could also see the Order of the Claw battling against Necrolai and the Chameleon Warrior amidst the chaos.

"It's time for your end, Power Rangers." Grizzaka said. Laughing, he began to charge an extreme version of his Zocato attack. "Zocato power!"

Pink Ranger and Robo Knight braced themselves. As the Zocato power was to hit them, Pink Ranger said, "Where are you, Zordon!?"

"Right here." Meledon Ranger said, flying down from the sky. Landing next to him were the Blue and White Aquitar Rangers.

"Hi-yah!" The Aquitians yelled, running forward to meet Jellica and Carnisoar.

"So, you've returned… Are you ready to be defeated by my Zocato power?" Grizzaka asked, laughing.

Meledon laughed. "I just got a second chance on life, thanks to the great healthcare on Aquitar. Let's just say you're not going to like what I have to do to you. Nathadian Magic Blast!"

Meledon Ranger's natural White Energy mixed with his Nathadian Magic, pouring out of him and slamming into Grizzaka. Grizzaka fell to his back, but quickly jumped back up. He grabbed his ribs, which were aching.

Meledon Ranger pointed a finger at Grizzaka. "You have been betraying the Resistance, stopping us from bringing freedom to those in the universe. It ends now, Grizzaka."

The Pink Ninja Ranger stared on. She felt too weak to help him fight, but at that moment, she felt okay with that. She hadn't heard Zordon sound this confident and assertive for a long time. He sounded more like he did when she had first met him, two thousand years earlier.

Grizzaka roared. "Taste my Zocato!"

As the Zocato power flew toward him, Meledon Ranger channeled all of his Nathadian Magic and shot it out at Grizzaka. It obliterated the attack and swarmed itself around Grizzaka, severing his connection to his own store of Zocato power.

"Huh!? Impossible!" Grizzaka shouted, feeling that he could no longer use Zocato power.

Meledon Ranger's suit then began blinking in and out, due to his temporary loss of Nathadian Magic caused by his massive attack. Before long, he was demorphed.

What the Pink Ranger and Robo Knight saw at that moment shocked them. Zordon turned around. His blue hair was full and bright again. He seemed to be standing up taller. The wrinkles on his face were gone. He was young again.

"Zordon!?" Pink Ranger cried out in surprise.

Zordon laughed. "It's funny what the waters of Aquitar can do for a guy when he's on his last leg. Now…" Zordon said, turning around and staring at Grizzaka, who was still attempting to unlock his Zocato power. "It's been a while since I have fought without being morphed… Let's see what I can do."

Focusing, Zordon summoned his red saber. His eyes were bright with White Energy. He smirked before saying, "Renzokuken".

Zordon leapt forward with such might, a bubble of White Energy could be seen forming around him. He then slashed at Grizzaka multiple times, cutting him from up to down, left to right. After a couple of direct stabs to the torso, Zordon jumped back. Putting his saber out before him, he charged it up with White Energy and, leaping forward, flew past Grizzaka, slashing him across the chest as a shockwave of power erupted from him.

Grizzaka fell to his knees. Blood was coming out of his mouth. As he was to fall face first, however, Carnisoar swooped down from the sky, having been able to elude the Blue Aquitar Ranger, and picked up Grizzaka. Within moments, they were gone. Zordon then turned to see Jellica. He pointed his sword at her and began running in her direction. Before he could get to her, however, Dai Shi opened up a portal under her, teleporting her to his temple.

Zordon then turned around, seeing the chaos occurring with the Rin Shi and Hidiacs. He frowned.

The White and Blue Aquitar Rangers ran to him. "What now, General Zordon?"

Looking to the other two members of Team Victory, he smiled. "What we do best: Destroy Monsters. Ancient source: Meledon force!"


	21. Part 0 - Chapter 11: The Great City

**Chapter Eleven: The Great City**

Moltor and Flurious walked in, flashing their invitation as if it was an exclusive event. As they walked in, their mouths dropped open. The Great City was truly a magnificent sight. As they walked forward, they could hear music from the band in the main plaza floating through the air.

Moltor began to bob his head to the side, feeling the rhythm of the music flow through him. "Flurious… This is awesome!"

"I know, right!?" Flurious said, beginning to bob his head to the side as well.

As the two brothers began making their way through the crowd, bobbing their heads to the music, they began to greet those around them. They were beginning to become completely flooded with sensory overload.

"Hey, what's up?"

"What's up?

"You new here?"

"Have you met my brother?"

"So, what are you doing after the party?"

With each attempt to get someone to say hello, they were brushed off. Their attitude and extreme behavior was off-putting to say the least.

"Okay, that's cool."

"Fine, see ya next time."

"Okay!"

They then went over to the drink station. As they asked for a couple of bottles of juice, they heard someone shouting behind them. Continually "dancing" to the music, they turned around to see who was trying to get their attention. Looking around, they could see a woman waving toward them, mouthing the phrase "come over here!" with much excitement.

Moltor looked to Flurious. "Is she pointing at me!?"

Flurious shrugged. "I don't know! Maybe!"

They then started pointing at each other with much animation. They kept looking to each other and back to the woman. As they did such, a man next to them finally noticed the girl, laughed, and ran over to her. Deflated and defeated, the brothers turned back to the juice bar.

"Man… This party's LAME!" Moltor said.

Flurious, looking at his brother, shook his head. "No, man… It's US. _We_ need to make this party awesome. Watch this…" He laughed, put down his bottle, and made his way out to the dance floor. His confident body language earned him a little spot near the band, as people began to circle him to see what he was up to.

Seeing the attention this was gaining him, he smirked. He then stopped, getting into a stance. After a few seconds without motion, Flurious began marching his way sideways across the dance floor, waving his arms and stomping his feet in what looked like a very poor excuse for a dance. Within moments, everyone had stopped dancing. They began pointing and laughing at Flurious.

Moltor saw what was happening, and began feeling badly for his brother. When he saw people begin throwing their drinks at him, Moltor ran through to his brother, grabbing him and pulling him away from the hecklers. He had a sad look on his face as he looked back at the people at the party, still laughing as they went back to their dancing. He even noticed some of the band members laughing as well.

Flurious looked down and sighed. "I guess we still don't fit in, huh?"

Moltor begin breathing heavily as he pounded his fist into a wall. "It's not fair! Why don't people like us!? Huh!? We're cool, right?"

As he began to dry sob, Flurious grabbed his brother and pulled his head close to his bosom. Remembering what their mother used to tell them as children, Flurious began caressing Moltor's head, saying "It's okay… Relax. Just think about puppies and candy canes."

"Wait… What are we doing!? Huh!? We're here for a _reason_ , Flurious." Moltor said, breaking away from his brother's embrace. "We need to get our treasure!"

Flurious nodded. "Yeah! You're right! We can't let the glitz and glamour of this party affect us! Once we get what we came for, we'll be able to throw our own parties! Everyone will love us then!"

"And we could even open our own dance club!" Moltor yelled out in excitement. As he did, two people walked by, staring at him oddly.

"Alright! Now, let's go find ourselves a treasure!" Flurious said, putting up his right hand for his brother to give him a high five. "Up top!" He then put up his left hand, having Moltor give him another high five. Thinking there would be yet a third, Moltor threw his hand out, accidentally slapping his brother in the face.

"Ow! What the heck!?"

"Sorry! Sorry!"

"Ugh. Whatever. Let's just go…"

"Okay. Uh… Flurious… Where are we going?"

As the brothers began to try and figure out a plan, Lothor looked down at the party from high up in his private tower. He smiled. In such a short time, they had gone from living in tents in an open field, to having a city and a massive temple all to themselves. All to _him_.

Ivicar stood behind him, watching the scene as well. He frowned. "Why are we having this party, Master? How does this forward our plans in the slightest?"

Lothor laughed. "This plan I have is _extremely_ complicated. You see… this city is built to harness power, just like how I created the Greatest Treasure in the Universe using the combined powers of the 'Morphing Masters'. Now, I intend to create another power: the Power Eggs. They are different than the Greatest Treasure, because the Greatest Treasure is a sort of… reboot. If someone uses it, the Greater Power attached to it will be consumed, and all those who were attached to said Greater Power will be erased as well… except the person using it, of course."

Ivicar smiled. "And that is why you formed 'The Top'. I am here, helping you, but I, Regina, did not contribute my powers to the Greatest Treasure, meaning I won't be erased like she will."

"It will be as if she never existed. Whereas the Greatest Treasure will help me change the past to form the present, the Power Eggs are made to change the present. They cannot alter history, but they sure can pack a punch." Lothor said.

Ivicar walked past him, looking dwon at the party. "So… I still don't understand this party…"

"To be able to create the Power Eggs, I will need a power source… _These people_ are that power source. They are my batteries. This temple is slowly but surely draining them of their Lifestream, so I can create the Power Eggs!" Lothor declared, pride dripping from his tongue as he spoke.

Ivicar laughed, turning back to face his secret master. "So then you and I will be ready to conquer the universe, tapping into their inert power stores?"

"Almost, my apprentice. We lost a valuable piece of the puzzle. I am not ashamed to admit I fear the power of the fiend who took the Crystal of Doom from me. I have been… preparing for that encounter. Only _after_ I'm ready we can fight him." Lothor said.

"Well, what about me?" Ivicar asked. "What can _I_ do to help?"

Lothor shook his head. "I don't want people knowing about your power. Not yet. Regina will get suspicious. This plan, although close to completion, can still fall apart. I can't have anyone ruining my plans. She is _especially_ important. I will need her emotions at the end of her life to trigger the final process in the Emotional Spectrum."

As Ivicar was going to reply, a loud explosion occurred behind him. Shouts of terror could be heard ringing throughout the plaza. Ivicar and Lothor raced to the balcony to see what was causing the distress.

In the middle of what appeared to be a crater in the plaza, Vexacus stood, sword in hand. "Oh, Lothor!? I told you I'd be back. You will pay for shaming me! Shimazu!? Attack!"

The Demon formerly of Earth swept down, shooting blasts down at the crowd. Flurious and Moltor dived behind a column, wondering what was occurring.

"It looks like someone beat us to the punch…" Flurious said, sneering.

Lothor frowned. "Well… On the one hand the party is ruined…"

Ivicar raised an eyebrow. "But…?"

Laughing, Lothor said, "But on the other, we get more people and energy for the Power Eggs!"

Moltor pulled Flurious up. "Come on! We have to find the treasures!"

As they ran off, Shimazu continued to blast random buildings as Vexacus slashed his way through the crowd, trying to find Lothor. As he did, Mesogog and Dracul exchanged surprised glances.

"Shimazu!? I thought you destroyed him!" Dracul said, looking at Mesogog.

Mesogog shook his head and sighed. "With everything going on around here, I'm not surprised in the least. Let's head back to the complex. I don't want to lose any profits this month."

As they ran to the exit, along with everyone else in the crowd trying to get away from the chaos, a cloud of smoke appeared at the arch leading out of the city. From the smoke, Phoebe, Prue, Paige, and Piperappeared.

Prue laughed. "Why are you all leaving so soon?"

"Yes. I mean, we only just got here…" Piper added.

Paige then stepped forward. "And we so _desperately_ want to play."

Phoebe then smirked. "Oh… And I hope you don't mind that we brought some friends…" And then, she snapped her fingers.

Suddenly, a figure swooped down from the skies, taking with it a person from the crowd. After he was done "feeding", Dracula landed in front of the Witches, baring his fangs. At that moment, two canine creatures jumped over the Witches from the outside of the city, growling and snarling. The smaller one morphed into Cujo, while the larger one, looking more like a  
Wolf/Human hybrid, laughed and pointed at Cujo.

"I am Fenrir… Alpha of the Werewolves. This is Cujo, the Skinwalker Alpha. Prepare to meet your doom."

As people began to scream and run back toward the main plaza, they met up with Shimazu again. He began firing blasts of energy in their direction.

"We're trapped!" Flurious screamed.

As he yelled out, a man next to him smiled. "You're right… You _are_." He then transformed into Deviot. Moltor and Flurious yelled in fright as they saw the transformation. They turned around and tripped over each other, falling on their faces. Deviot laughed as he began to attack random people in the crowd.

Paige looked at Shimazu and, in the distance, Vexacus, as they began to try and find Lothor. She frowned. "It looks like we aren't the only party crashers, sisters…"

Right then, casually, Roman walked past the Witch sisters. He looked at them and smiled. "I'll handle things from here." He then turned, adjusted his tie, and opened his mouth, to reveal his razor sharp teeth. The mouth seemed to encompass the entirety of his face. He then ran forward and began attacking the people in the crowd.

As a woman lay on the ground, clutching her injured arm, Ifrit made his way to her. He bent over to her and smiled. In a deep, gravelly voice, he asked, "Do you want this pain to go away?"

"Yes! More than anything!"

He smiled a deep, understanding smile. "Then all you need to do is _wish_ it away."

In a moment of desperation, not thinking clearly due to her pain, she nodded. "I wish the pain away! Please!"

Ifrit laughed. The woman's face dropped in horror as she saw the man morph into an evil Djinn. He smiled. "Wish granted."

The woman slowly began disappearing. Having granted the Djinn access to her life by "wishing", the Monster tapped into his magic and began to pervert her "wish". He watched as the molecules that made up her body broke down, until she did not exist anymore. As her Lifestream flowed into him, the Spiritual Vampire smiled and moved onto his next victim.

At that moment, Serrator walked toward Shimazu. He laughed, calling out to him. "You Demons are a sorry lot, you know. Just because you're the newest of the flock doesn't make you better than us."

Shimazu turned to him and laughed. "I have nothing against you, whoever you are. Now, do whatever you need to do, and I'll do my own will."

"I'm the Nighlok Alpha. Show some respect. I have my own business to do here, so back away."

"I know nothing of Nighloks. Now, will you leave me alone or not?" Shimazu asked, getting angry.

Serrator's fingernails began to grow long. He laughed. "You won't survive this fight, Demon. Hi-yah!"

As he ran forward, he was surprised to suddenly be facing a man, who ran in between him and Shimazu. Serrator laughed.

"And who do you think you are, little man?" Serrator asked.

The man smiled, while pushing up his glasses. "My name is Xan. I have a lot riding on things going well here in this city, and I don't need Monsters like you ruining it." Flames began dancing around Xan in a circle.

Serrator laughed. "Interesting power you seem to have there…"

Xan nodded. "I've reached my limit break…"

Meanwhile, Fenrir was leaping around, running on the walls by digging his hands and feet into them. Chunks of the wall's material flew out from each impact. As with the other Alphas, he had a mission to cause as much chaos as possible, leading the way to the Witches to get to Lothor and stop him from gaining ultimate power.

Then, he suddenly found himself falling to the ground. As he hit the earth, he looked up, trying to figure out where he was and what had happened. He then caught sight of who had shot him down. Standing amidst the chaos, Zen Aku was holding a blaster he made. His hands were glowing with Green Energy, being channeled into the blaster itself. Lokar stood next to him, trying to ensure he didn't get attacked as he charged his blaster.

Fenrir curled his lip and snarled. "Wrong move…" He then leapt into the air, hoping to attack Zen Aku.

During all of this, Dai Shi ran into the predestinated building that Octomus had asked him to go to. When he walked in, he found Octomus standing in the middle of a room, eyes filled with Black Energy.

"Whoa… This is intense…" Dai Shi said, feeling a little uneasy. He had never felt such power coming from one individual at one time.

Octomus laughed. "I was going to try and do this during Lothor's grand toast, hoping he wouldn't feel my power, but this… oh _this_ is too great. While those fools out there go around, causing havoc, _our_ plan will go off without a hitch."

"So you checked them…?" Dai Shi asked.

"Yes. Yes I did. They seem to be completely dependent on me. I already programmed them for this mission."

"So…?"

"So… the Ten Terrors are coming up as soon as this portal is opened straight to here. And then, the Greatest Treasure in the Universe will be ours!"

. . .

Thor stared at the spot in space in shock as Loki went to speak with Hades to figure out what had happened. Thor flew past the floating ships to the spot of the incident.

He closed his eyes and focused hard. A very odd energy reading could be felt from the spot. It was as if something happened to the planet, like it had been moved with a powerful spell. From the eyewitness accounts Thor had received, however, it seemed as if the planet had disintegrated. By the time the spell had passed that had caused all of those trying to defend Dawn to be frozen, the planet was already humming and spinning until it had disappeared. The only thing they all knew was that Beelzebub was involved with a small group of Demons. Unfortunately, they knew now whether the Demons went down with the planet or not.

 _I'm highly doubting that…_ Thor thought to himself. He gripped Mjolnir tightly as he reasoned within himself. _I need to report to Atlantis and tell them what I've discovered… I fear a power that is too dangerous has reared its ugly head, and we may not be powerful enough to stop it._

. . .

Beelzebub laughed as he gripped the Orb of Doom tightly in one of his massive hands. He knew that he had great power, and he was ready to wield it.

"We have now placed our mark in the universe!" Goresakubo stated happily. "They can't help but fear us now!"

Azazel nodded. "Yes, it is true. Now that the universe knows that not even the High Ones can stop us, no one will dare fight against our cause."

"That is true, my children." Beelzebub said. "We are the mightiest warriors in the universe! Nothing can stand in our way!"

"That is not true, little brother…" Michael said, descending from the skies onto the planet the Demons had congregated upon, to celebrate their victory.

"So, you've found us Michael… Now what?" Beelzebub asked, chuckling a bit.

"You can't take us on. We are five and you are one. I don't care how powerful you are, Ethereal, you can't win." Diabolico said, angry at what he saw as Michael's arrogance.

"Victor… please… Don't let this end like this!" Michael said, tightening his grip on the handle of his sword.

LokiD stepped forward. "There is no Victor here! We are Demons, united and strong. Back away before he destroy you!"

Michael then took off his hood, revealing the Corona Aurora. Closing his eyes, he could feel its power beginning to flow through his body.

Beelzebub gripped the Orb of Doom tighter. "I see and feel that I'm not the only one who has gained more power. So, is this your secret weapon, Ethereal King? Well… Let's see if it is enough to deal with me _and_ my children _and_ my powerful orb!"

Mythical Master looked at the scene. Underneath his black hood, he shook his head. Looking at his stolen wrist tech while analyzing the energy signature coming off of the Corona Aurora, he though, _That thing has the potential to be more powerful than the Orb of Doom… I… I cannot allow my Demons to not succeed. I need them too much!_

Turning off his stealth cloak, Mythical Master descended while riding his work station. The Demons and the Ethereal watched in awe as he appeared.

Lifting up his mighty, White Energy powered sword, Michael pointed the blade at Mythical Master. "Who are you and who do you fight for?"

Stepping down from the platinum platform, Mythical Master bowed. "I am the Mythical Master. I have come to help the mighty Demon Empire tear down the status quo, and you are fighting on the wrong side of history!"

"I'm sorry you feel this way…" Michael said, channeling some of the power of the Corona Aurora into his sword. "And I'm sorry you have the wrong view of how things will happen for the future. Unfortunately, I will need to teach you and these Demons a lesson you will never forget. Prepare to feel the wrath of the Ethereals! Yaah!"

And with that, Michael dashed forward, ready to battle Mythical Master and Beelzebub's Demons.


	22. Part 3 - Chapter 11: The Wizard War

**Chapter Eleven: Wizard War**

The Sorcerer of the Sands looked at Guy curiously. "And so you don't remember anything about the Afterlife?"

Guy shook his head. "Not a thing. Last thing I remember, I was working in my lab with Gerlit, my left arm started hurting, and then… well…I guess I passed onto the other side."

Luka shook her head. "I don't understand how this happened exactly, but… I can't help be happy to have you back, buddy." She laughed and punched him in the arm.

"Ouch! Hey… I'm not used to being alive… That hurt!" Guy complained, rubbing the sore spot.

Marvelous looked at Doc. "Why didn't you tell us about the Power Card Castiel gave you? I mean… We're a team, Doc."

Doc looked down. "It's not like that… He said it was important and he trusted me."

Luka frowned. "Do you not trust us, Doc!?"

Guy looked at the three as they began to argue with each other. The Sorcerer frowned as he saw the contention begin. He began to think of a way he could diffuse the situation.

"It's just that, well… I got used to not having to depend on you guys. It was a long time that Miha and I were together, trying to find a way to help you guys." Doc said.

Joe scoffed. "Help us from what, Doc?"

"I… Uh…"

Joe stepped forward and grabbed him by the collar. "Say it! Say how we were Demons and how we did horrible things. SAY IT!"

Guy looked at them in shock. "What? I… I had no idea…"

Marvelous nodded. "A lot happened while you were gone. A lot can go on in two thousand years…"

"Stop!" Miha said, stepping forward. She straightened up and looked at each of those around her. "Listen… What's in the past is in the past. And guess what? None of that was your fault. Doc and I both knew that. That's why we worked so hard to get you guys back."

"Touching…" A deep voice bellowed. The six and the Sorcerer of the Sands jumped in surprise. They ran out of the large tent, onto the deserted desert planet's rough terrain. Before them, Delu was being held captive, sword to his throat, by Diabolico.

Marvelous sneered. "What do you want, Demon?"

Diabolico looked at him. "Do you not remember me, _General_ Marvelous? The times we had, battling for dominion?"

Marvelous looked down. What he said sounded familiar, but it was like a fading dream. In a way, he could understand what Guy was going through, not being able to remember the Afterlife.

"Shame. You and I had quite the rivalry… No matter. Apparently it ends here. And it is nice to see you all have given us the opportunity to find the final member of this planet. I thought we drained every last one of your people of their Magic. The Queen will be happy to hear she will get more Magic for her empire." Diabolico said, tightening his grip around Delu's neck.

"Let my assistant go." The Sorcerer said simply.

Miha stepped forward. "What do you want?"

"After you fled from Dark Specter's Dark Fortress, we followed you six to this planet. We were pleasantly surprised to find your base of operations."

Joe shook his head. "We have to morph now. He keeps saying 'we'." He pulled out his Power Card.

"Change card!" Miha shouted out. "Sky Armor!"

As they morphed into their ranger counterparts, they got into a fighting stance.

"The Animal Spirit of breath! Phoenix! Gaia Pink!"

The red fighter then said, "The Animal Spirit of storms! Dragon! Gaia Red!"

"The Animal Spirit of blossoms! Tiger! Gaia Yellow!"

"The Animal Spirit of Waves! Shark! Gaia Blue!"

"The Animal Spirit of Tides! Dolphin! Gaia Green!"

"The Animal Spirit of Venom! Snake! Gaia Black!"

"Gaia Rangers. Let's go…" Gaia Pink said, getting into a fighting stance. She then ran ahead to fight Diabolico, with her team following behind her.

The Sorcerer of the Sands, realizing his rangers did not think ahead to Delu's safety and seeing that Diabolico was about to land a fatal blow to his friend, concentrated on his inert sand bending abilities. A tower of sand flew out from the ground, separating the Demon from Delu. Diabolico fell onto his back, but quickly shot up to meet the Gaia Rangers.

The Sorcerer of the Sands focused again, sending a sand ball toward Diabolico to help the Rangers out. As the sand ball hit, Gaia Red summoned forth his sword. As he channeled his White Energy into the sword to attack the Demon, he felt a sudden pain in his chest. He fell to the ground, crying out in pain.

Gaia Yellow stayed behind as the rangers ran to meet Diabolico. She bent down to look at her long time friend. "Marv… What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "I… I don't know…" Digging his blade into the sand, he pulled himself up. He could hear the intense battle occurring between Diabolico and the other rangers, and knew he had to hurry and help them. As he focused on his Power Card again, sending more White Energy throughout his body, Gaia Red began convulsing. He fell with a thud to the ground.

"Marvin!" Gaia Yellow shouted, dropping to his side. "Are you okay!?"

He could hardly hear her. His head felt as if it was underwater. His vision blurred as he tried to focus. His whole body felt as if it had been hit by a steamroller. He was sweating hard.

The Dai-Zangyack will rise again, Marvin Louse.

"Huh!? Who said that!?" Gaia Red yelled out, looking around in confusion.

"Who said what!? Marv, are you okay!?" Gaia Yellow shouted, shaking her friend.

Delu ran to her side. "What's happened to the Red Ranger!?"

She shook her head. "I don't know… All I _do_ know is that it's something bad and—"

Before she could finish, a ball of Dark Magic hit her, sending her flying onto her back. Diabolico laughed as he grabbed Gaia Blue by the throat and threw him into Gaia Black.

As they landed in a heap, Gaia Black laughed. "Just like old times, huh!?"

"Uh… Guys?" Gaia Green said, pointing up.

"What!?" Gaia Pink shouted, leaping over Diabolico and sending an orb of White Energy at him from her palms.

"We have company…" The Green Ranger said, pointing up to the sky.

Gaia Pink looked up and sighed. A massive fleet of ships began descending down. Each was glowing with what her Ethereal power told her was Black Energy. Unbeknownst to her, it was channeled directly from Bansheera herself. She wanted to ensure the White Energy wielding rangers would be no threat to her. She had been able to feel the fight that had gone on between them and Dark Specter. Knowing they were able to at least _survive_ an encounter with him, she knew she did not want to have to take them on herself. To eliminate them quickly was her surefire plan.

The Sorcerer of the Sands frowned. "Delu… Grab the Red Ranger. It is time to abort."

Delu stared at him in shock. "But… Our home!"

The Sorcerer shook his head. "It is better to live and fight another day than to hold onto my sentimentalities. This war will end someday. It may not be here, and it may not be now… but if we fall here and now, both my power and that of the Power Cards will fall into Bansheera's hands, and with them she will be more dangerous than Dark Specter himself. We abort now."

"Yes, master!" Delu said, bending over and picking up the Red Ranger.

"Rangers! Run! Run! Run!" The Sorcerer shouted, rushing into his tent as Delu followed him, as quickly as he could.

Gaia Pink nodded. "Everyone? Fall back! Now!"

Gaia Blue shook his head. "Not now. We can stop this!"

As he spoke, a hailstorm of Black Energy descended down around them, sending sand up everywhere. All the rangers flew through the air, having been hit badly. Gaia Blue scoffed. "Never mind… Move out everyone!"

Staggering to their feet as Diabolico kicked the Green Ranger, the other four rangers were able to run to the tent.

Diabolico picked up the fallen Green Ranger and laughed. He lifted him up so that they were looking at each other, face to face. "You are a fool for thinking you can defeat the mighty Bansheera!"

Gaia Green then sent a large amount of White Energy to his legs and kicked Diabolico in the trunk. As he kicked off, he flipped through the air, landing a few feet away. He then lifted up a hand and wagged his finger in a "no" gesture. "You're the fool, Demon. You've allied yourself with a Demonic maniac. You'll regret having done that one day, I promise you!" He then turned around and sprinted to the tent, trying to smooth out suit as he did.

As he disappeared into the tent, LokiD appeared next to Diabolico, having teleported down from Bansheera's ship in space. "What was he talking about?"

"Foolishness. Nothing more. Now let's go, old friend. We need to get out now before it's too late. Unless we want to be reduced to cinders ourselves…" Diabolico said, teleporting away with LokiD as another barrage of Black Energy slammed into the planet.

As it happened, the tent which the Sorcerer of the Sands lived in since Bansheera had first attacked his planet was reduced to cinders. From one of the command ships, Jinxer laughed, pointing to the hole where the tent used to be. "We did it! They are destroyed! My Queen will be most pleased!"

Vypra frowned as she looked down. "But, Jinxer… Look! That hole is too _round_ , is it _not_?"

"Yes… You're right…" Jinxer said. As he looked down, a spaceship blasted out from the hole, flying out quickly into space. Within the ship, Delu piloted them away from the incoming armada.

Jinxer clenched his gloved fist. "Curses! They will pay for this! We needed those powers!"

"What about their powers were _so_ important, Jinxer?"

Jinxer then pulled out some cards. "Just as we Demons have these Power Cards, so do they. These cards were given to us by the mighty Beelzebub when Demons were first created! They are the same as the Ethereal cards, only they harness Black Energy instead of White! If we can get all of the Power Cards together, we will be most powerful!"

Vypra nodded. "I see… Ah-hahaha!"

"Uh… Yes… Anyway! Demons!? Point the blasters down. We're ridding the universe of this planet once and for all!" Jinxer said, giving the order.

Meanwhile, in space, the Sorcerer of the Sands watched as his homeworld exploded. A single tear fell down his weathered face.

"I'm very sorry…" Miha said, walking up to the Sorcerer. "I know how you feel…"

Adjusting himself, the Sorcerer stood up and smiled. "We'll be just fine, Miha. Now, we need to head to our next destination."

"And where would that be?" She asked.

"We need to get the help of the group who is fighting against the Demons. We need to go to the base for the Resistance. We need to head to Earth."

. . .

Mondo the Wizard stared at Earth from his plane in space. He looked to Gara and Zydos and nodded to them. "We need to go down now and strike hard. I am mostly recuperated. But since I'm not at full strength, I will need you two by my side. We will take down Earth's Resistance base first, sending a message to the universe that we mean business. Then, we take out Bansheera's empire before taking on Dark Specter himself. Understood?"

"Yes, master." Zydos said.

Gara nodded. She then walked over to her main machine, King Mondo. "Do you understand your part in this mission?"

King Mondo nodded. "I am to go down and destroy all in my way! No one will survive my reign of terror!"

Mondo the Wizard laughed. "He almost sounds as if he has a soul. Brilliant engineering, Gara."

King Mondo then stared at Mondo the Wizard. Thinking to himself, he thought, _You have no idea what I am going to do to you once I get the chance._ _No_ _one turns the mighty Mondo into a slave!_

In the midst of the battle that was occurring on Earth, Mondo, Zydos, and Gara teleported down. Hidiacswere the predominant force running amok, causing problems for the Magicians, knights, and martial artists who were striving to defend the Earth.

The three villains stepped forward. Mondo laughed as he pointed his hand and blew up a Rinshi as it ran by.

A knight ran to him. "Why thank you! I haven't seen you before… You are quite the skilled Magician!"

Mondo scoffed. "I'm no mere Magician… I'm a _sorcerer_!" He then blasted the knight, sending him flying through the air and slamming into a mountain side.

That's when Mondo spotted his main target: Meledon Ranger. Mondo then put his hands out before him, charging up a mighty spell. When he felt it wasn't as powerful as he wanted it to be, he placed his hands atop each other before him, and began a new spell.

Mondo then spoke to his comrades. "I need help with this new spell. Do as I do." Gara and Zydos began to lift up their arms, to imitate Mondo's movements. Mondo had taught them, over the course of their time as his assistants, enough Magic to know they would be of use to him in such a situation.

Once they were fully in sync, Mondo channeled their joined energy and shot it out at Meledon, hitting him square in the back as he was to attack Necrolai. He flew away from her, landing in a heap.

The Pink Ninja Storm Ranger screamed. "Zordon!"

Necrolai turned around and laughed. "I'm not going down without a fight! Yah!" She then flew over and began battling the Pink Ranger, preventing her from getting to her husband.

"I'm coming, Zordon!" Robo Knight declared, running forward while slashing at Hidiacs and Rinshi as he went.

As he was about to get to his fellow ranger, Scorpina appeared before him. She swung her scythe at him. He ducked down to avoid the hit. She laughed as she swung again. Although Lord Zedd had sent her down to assist in causing chaos, she was actually in the area to ensure what the Overlords had started would be completed, for Dai Shi and The Master.

"Stand down, you evil fighter. I will defeat anyone who threatens this planet's safety and those who abide on it." Robo Knight declared. "Knight Dynamic."

Scorpina was surprised as the several laser strands erupted from Robo Knight's blaster. They sailed toward her and hit her hard. She fell to her back, breathing hard.

"I got this, Scorpina." The Chameleon Warrior yelled as she leapt through the air. She slashed at Robo Knight as she got to him, sending sparks flying from his armor.

As Robo Knight fought for his life, Meledon Ranger was able to lift himself up. While he did, he noticed someone near him. Looking, he saw Mondo and his crew slowly walking to him, casually destroying fighters, both good and bad, as they walked along. Meledon shook his head.

"Really? I don't have time to play with you, Mondo. Back off." Meledon said, pointing at him.

Mondo spat at him. "How dare you speak to me like that. I am the mighty Mondo! Feel my wrath! Gara!?"

Gara nodded. "King Mondo: Come forth!"

The machine king teleported down to the planet's surface. He began to laugh as his scepter/battle staff appeared in his hand. Many members of the Order of the Claw saw him and leapt to attack the new threat on the field. He swung his staff and batted them away easily. "I am King Mondo! Feel my wrath!"

"Now… Let us show you, Zordon, _our_ power." Mondo the Wizard said. He nodded and snapped his instantly, he was back in his metal facemask, while Gara and Zydos were also equipped in similar battle attire.

Meledon Ranger clapped. "Good for you. What other tricks can you do?"

Mondo laughed. "Well, you seem a lot more confident than the last time we met. Whatever reason you have, I guarantee you I will rip it away from you before I obliterate you from the universe."

"You sure do talk big. Let's see if you can back it up." Meledon Ranger said, all the while scanning the three warriors to look for weaknesses. When he saw that he would just need to be quicker than their casting ability, he knew what he had to do.

"Oh, believe me… I can. Attack!" Mondo proclaimed. Gara and Zydos rushed forward, shooting various spells at Meledon Ranger.

"Jungle beast: Spirit unleashed!" Meledon cried out. He leapt up and forward, his Morphing Energy creating a bubble around him protecting him from the onslaught of Red, White, and Black Magic being shot at him. He blasted past the two henchmen, sending them to the ground as he landed a few feet from Mondo.

"With the Spirit of the tiger: Meledon Beast Mode! Tiger claws!" On each hand, wrist mounted weapons appeared with long claws erupting from them. He leapt forward.

"Barrier! Haste! Shell! Regen! Protect! Float!" Mondo yelled out. In the blink of an eye, Mondo was floating in the air and seemed to be moving much quicker than Meledon. Missing his target by a hair, Meledon went flying past. Recalculating in a split moment, he did a front flip midair and landed on his feet. He spun around, throwing his arms out before him as if he were a feline ready to strike.

All the while, Robo Knight was feverishly battling, trying to ensure he not only kept himself alive, but kept both the Chameleon Warrior and Scorpina distracted so they didn't rip through the Order of the Claw and citizens of the Magic Realm. As he fought, his inner computer informed him that his power was significantly low.

"Give it up, knight!" Scorpina cried out. "You'll never win!"

"Step aside, Robo Knigh!" Master Mao said. By his side we many other members of the Order of the Claw, along with a few masters. "We'll handle them."

Grateful, Robo Knight jumped out of the way, hiding behind a boulder. He leaned up against the boulder and slowly slid down to a sitting position. He began to recharge, hoping no stray Rinshi or Hidiac would find him while he was weak.

Master Lope stepped forward. "It is time for your reckoning, Camille. We've been preparing for our next encounter!"

Master Guin nodded. "Animal Spirits! Unite! Magical Containment!"

Those who were present channeled their Animal Spirits together. They had been able to conjure a spell they believed would be enough to ensure they could be Camille away for good. They knew they had to time to attack perfectly, because it would take all they had and they wouldn't be able to repeat the spell before Camille could get away.

Scorpina and the Chameleon Warrior watched in shock as the Animal Spirits merged together. They created a giant ball of golden light. It began speeding toward them with great speed.

Scorpina frowned. "… Camille, Dai Shi needs you more than me. You are more powerful."

"Huh?" Chameleon Warrior said. Before she could react, Scorpina jumped in front of her, taking the full force of the blast. "Scorpina!"

As Scorpina was being blasted, Dai Shi frowned from his temple. "Octomus… I can't lose them both."

Octomus grunted in response. "I will bring Camille back here." His eyes turned as black as night as he created a portal for her to get back to their base in the Magic Realm.

Before Chameleon Warrior could react, she found herself in the dungeon of her masters' temple. Dai Shi walked forward and slashed her. Sparks erupted from her armor.

"Your irresponsibility has cost me my spy within Lord Zedd's ranks! But… Scorpina was right. You _are_ more powerful than she. I want you to go now and formulate a new battle plan. And also bring the Overlords to me. I want to know why they abandoned the battle so quickly."

Controlling her sobs, Chameleon Warrior nodded. "Yes, my lord…"

Curious to see what happened, Dai Shi turned back to see the battle on the main plane of Earth. He could see the golden light enveloping itself around Scorpina.

"No! Nooo!" She screamed. Before she could move again, the light materialized and formed a giant boulder around her.

Master Rilla walked forward and frowned. "We didn't get Camille…"

Swallowing hard, Flit looked around. "Are… are you sure?"

Mao nodded. "Unfortunately. We did get the scorpion warrior, though, which is good. Flit? I'm needing you and a group of other cadets to take this boulder to the Jungle of Spirits. Place it near the Nexus Tree. I believe the power from the Tree can amplify the containment spell."

Flit, shocked he was being trusted with such a task, jumped to his feet. "Yes, sir!" He then ran off to gather a group of talented fighters to accompany him on his journey to put the trapped Scorpina away.

Necrolai flipped over the Pink Ranger, slashing her as she landed behind her. Pink Ranger arched her back and fell to her knees. Before a second attack, almost instantly, Pink Ranger amazingly performed a front flip from on her knees onto her feet, spinning around to battle Necrolai.

"You're going to end up just like Scorpina, Necrolai!" Pink Ranger threatened. She then focused on her inner ninja power. Photons floating through the air gathered around her hands. When she had enough, she channeled them and shot them at Necrolai.

"Scorpina? What happened to—Ah!" She screamed. She had no time to wonder what happened to her partner in crime as the power of the sun hit her full on. Although she was a direct descendant of the Alpha Vampire, Dracula, she was unable to withstand a vampire's natural allergies to sunlight, as she was hit with it in a pure, unfiltered form. She fell onto her back, whimpering in pain.

Pink Ranger, having seen what happened to Scorpina while she had been struggling with the Vampire, hoped to get Master Mao's attention to do the same to Necrolai. Before she could, however, she saw the same Magical symbol that had teleported Camille away appear below Necrolai. Pink Ranger watched helplessly as Necrolai was teleported to Dai Shi's temple.

Meanwhile, on the Moon Palace, Lord Zedd howled in anger. "Nooo! Scorpina was one of my best fighters! Why would she have jumped in front of that chameleon like that!?"

"Err… Maybe they were friends, your worship." Goldar suggested.

"Maybe they were… What!? Arghh… Why, Goldar… How did you get so smart?" Lord Zedd aed mockingly. "You would think , with such an amazing brain in that blue head of yours, YOU'D HAVE DEFEATED THE RESISTANCE BY NOW! Wizard of Deception!?"

Having returned after leaving Rita with the Ghost of Darkness, the Wizard stepped forward and nodded. "Yes, Lord Zedd?"

"Accompany our genius here down to Earth. Destroy everyone in your path! And make sure Zordon is one of those people!"

As Lord Zedd mentioned Zordon's name, something within the Wizard of Deception clicked. The name Zordon brought back feelings of revenge and hatred. Red Energy began to swirl around the Wizard. "Yes… Zordon of Eltar… My sworn enemy!"

Zedd nodded. "He does seem to have that affect on people."

Goldar, still miffed by Zedd's insults, slammed his blade into the ground, teleporting the Wizard and himself down to Earth. As they appeared, they saw the fighting seem to still be ongoing. The Wizard of Deception made a beeline straight to Meledon Ranger, recognizing him, as he fought against Mondo and his accomplices.

Goldar roared and began to run forward to strike down all in his path. As he did, he was shocked to find one of the soldiers able to fight back quite well. He roared as he tried to strike him down, but to no avail.

The soldier winked. "Nice try, monkey. Maybe next time." He then jumped into the air, kicking Goldar in the face. Goldar's head whipped back. When he turned around, he howled in fury. "Just what are you!?"

Goldar was then shocked as the features of the fighter began to melt away, turning into something different. Something Goldar hadn't seen in quite some time: Deviot.

"Huh?" Goldar gasped in shock.

"I've been here, undercover. I have some plans on this planet and needed to get closer. Unfortunately, this silly battle is getting in the way. No matter: I know what I need. Now move it!" Deviot cried out. He had gone down to Earth with the intention of learning about the force field around the city of Atlantis. He knew that it was somehow connected to the Corona Aurora.

Goldar pointed his sword at Deviot. "Nope. I'm going to take you down! Ah-haha!"

Deviot nodded. "Fine. Let the battle commence."

A few yards away, King Mondo had a fighter pinned to a wall. "And now you will feel my fury!" He cried out, swinging his staff. Before it landed on the young woman, however, it was shot out of King Mondo's hands. "Huh!?"

"Stand down." Robo Knight said, pointing his blaster at the Machine King.

"Ah. A fellow robot. I think you missed. The target is right here." King Mondo said, pointing back to where the fighter had once stood. He was upset to find her gone. "Agh! We missed her!"

Robo Knight walked forward again. "This is your last warning before I deactivate you."

King Mondo grunted. "I am the most powerful robot in the galaxy. How _dare_ you insult me!"

"Knight Dynamic." Robo Knight declared, firing his lasers at King Mondo. The robot absorbed most of them with his hand before a few hit him, sending sparks out of him.

"You will pay, scoundrel!" King Mondo cried out. He quickly picked up his staff.

Robo Knight produced his blade at that. "You will soon feel the blade of justice." He then rushed forward to commence the metal battle.

Meanwhile, Meledon Ranger struggled with Mondo, Zydos, and Gara. They were more experienced in using their Magic, and he felt as if he couldn't keep up with them.

"Hiyah!" Pink Ranger yelled out, shooting a beam of photons at Gara as she attempted a strike at Meledon.

Meledon shook his head. "Trinity… Step away… I don't want you to get hurt…"

Pink Ranger laughed. "I'm not going to let you have all the fun, Z." She then ninja streaked forward, hitting Gara much faster than she anticipated.

Meledon then looked at both Mondo the Wizard and Zydos. "Give up while you can."

Monod laughed. "You're the one breathing hard. You can't win!"

Zydos nodded. "This time, you'll be the—"

Before he could finish, the Blue and White Aquitar Rangers swooped down from the skies, slashing Zydos and dragging him away from the battle.

"We'll take care of this one!" Blue Ranger cried out.

Meledon nodded. "It's just you and me, Mondo."

"Perfect." Mondo cried out, laughing.

"Let's make this rematch a full one, shall we?" The Wizard of Deception said, stepping forward. He felt that moment to be the best to make his presence known.

Recognizing the voice, Pink Ranger turned around. She hadn't heard it in many, many years, but it was one that followed her in her nightmares. "Yoral? What happened to you…?" She asked, dodging a strike from Gara.

"Then so be it. Hi-yah!" Mondo screamed. He rushed forward, balls of Magic shining in his hands.

Meledon extended his tiger claws. "I'm ready, Yoral." He then ran to the middle as well.

"Yoral… Sounds familiar…" The Wizard of Deception said. Brushing it off, he began brimming with Zocato power as he, too, rushed to meet in the center of the battle with his Wizard foes.

The Ghost of Darkness did not like that his Wizard was beginning to remember bits of his life, but wasn't going to do anything about it for two reasons. The first was because it was helping him get to where he wanted by destroying the Meledon Ranger. The second reason was because he was preoccupied with his visitor: Rita Repulsa.

Rita stared at the Crystal before the Ghost of Darkness. "So… Ghost… What is this?"

The Ghost chuckled. "Why, my child… It is just an heirloom. Nothing more."

Rita cocked an eyebrow. "Sure does give off a lot of energy for being solely an heirloom."

"Observant. I like that!" The Ghost said. "So… What can I do for you?"

"First, I want to know why you showed up all of a sudden in my campaign."

"Well, I have some things I need to take care of. My servant, Yoral, got into a little bit of an accident in the Caves of Deception and became that Wizard you met earlier. He was trying to retrieve the Zeo Crystal for Lord Zedd."

Rita laughed. "That chrome dome will never learn! Hahaha! Well, why the lie about you and me?"

"It was the first thing my servant could come up with that didn't make Zedd ask questions. I don't want him being too much in the know." The Ghost said.

"But you're okay telling me? Why?"

"Because I see great potential in you, Rita Repulsa."

"How do you know my name?"

"I read you. I can feel your thoughts and desires. If you want, I can teach you as well."

Rita scoffed. "What's the catch? Do I have to become a skull like you?"

"No, no, no. Haha! I have taken this form for a reason. No need to concern yourself with that, though. Well, the reason I would teach you is so that you can triumph over Lord Zedd. I feel that you are more intelligent and deadly than him, anyway. I mean, it was because of you and your efforts that Project White Genesis went off without a hitch to begin with in the first place. Zedd just waltzed in and took your stuff. If you side with me, I can teach you how to get everything back. I can teach you… Time Magic."

"Time Magic?"

"Oh, yes. Lord Zedd seems very powerful in a one on one battle, but what if you could send him into a Time Warp? Hmm?"

"That would be great! But, really… What do _you_ gain from it?"

"Well, my dear child… I wish to have revenge on an old friend of mine. If I train you up correctly, I can eventually get you powerful enough to restore my true form. Once I get my revenge, I don't care _what_ happens." The Ghost lied.

Rita thought it over. She thought about how, if worse came to worse, she could use the newfound powers to destroy the Ghost of Darkness. _I mean… He's just a skull…_

"Okay. Deal!" Rita said, cackling.

The Ghost laughed. "Excellent. Now, return here often. You know the way to this planet now. We will begin training during your next visit."

Rita nodded and, focusing on her Blue Magic, teleported herself back to the Moon Palace. As she left, the Ghost of Darkness laughed.

 _Soon, I will be able to start the Spiral, going beyond this universe with my special cells! Nothing will stand in my way!_

. . .

Jak-Am, Tob-Zu, Cass-Mer, Rach-Ur, and Mar-Ran looked at each other in shock as they heard the news from Cris-Re.

They each looked at the Animal Crystal they had been given, each being chosen to replace a member of the Beast Watch: Jak-Am was to be the Red Falcon; Cass-Mer was to be the Blue Dolphin; Tob-Zu was chosen to be the Black Bison; Mar-Ran was give the Animal Crystal of the Green Rhino; and Rach-Ur took the Animal Crystal representing the Yellow Lion.

Jak-Am was still uneasy about the situation. Cris-Re was the only ranger who was still functioning: the others were either comatose or too weak to understand what was being said to them. When Jak-Am had mentioned this to Cris-Re, he had smiled and simply told him that he was the leader appointed by the Council, and that, in the end, he made the final decisions. Regardless if his team liked it or not, he knew it was for the best. He knew the mission couldn't be compromised.

"Now… When you morph, you will feel a new instinct. It may be hard to overcome at first, trying to sift through the impressions of the Morphing Grid with your own. On top of that, you are receiving _our_ Animal Spirits. Although you will be able to use these Spirits, they are not your own. It will take you some time to get used to them, since they are foreign… But, just be strong. Be diligent. I believe in you guys." Cris-Re said, finishing.

"Okay… So…" Rach-Ur began. "Now what?"

Jak-Am gave them all a stern look. "Now… we fight."

Cris-Re smirked. Jak-Am's attitude reaffirmed to him that he had made the correct decision in who would lead the team. It was his own personal belief that Battle Strategists would make great soldiers, but seeing as he wasn't in the Elder Council, he could not make such a change and argue with them to have one in his Ranger team. Seeing the situation he was in at that moment, though, he was glad he had not one, but two Battle Strategists who were willing and able to take the powers of the Morphing Grid upon themselves.

Rach-Ur smiled. "Oh yeah… This is going to be awesome!"

Mar-Ran cocked an eyebrow, shooting a look while smirking to Tob-Zu. Tob-Zu shot him another look, as if to say "shut up".

Cass-Mer breathed in to calm down. She was not a fighter, but she knew she had a duty to follow the intuition of her superiors. She never thought it would lead he to becoming a Power Ranger, but that was the lot she seemed to have drawn in life. It was time for her to prove her allegiance to Krypton.

Jak-Am swallowed hard. "Alright, everyone. Let's head over to the teleportation room. He head down to Earth immediately. We'll track down the Five Fingers of Poison, and we'll avoid any of their Magic based attacks."

Mar-Ran laughed. "That simple, huh? We can just outrun Magic?"

Rach-Ur nodded. "Actually, yes. They seem to need to call out their Magic attacks before they do them, so if you hear them chanting, stop whatever you're doing and run."

"Then we won't get anything done!" Mar-Ran argued.

Cass-Mer nodded. "I agree. And what if that black vortex appears again? The Magic coming from that was enough to take down the entire squad before."

Jak-Am thought for a moment. "Well, then we will send us in waves. Three upfront, then the other two later as a sneak attack from behind. The first wave will be Cass-Mer, Tob-Zu, and me. Mar-Ran and Rach-Ur will come in when I give the signal, got it?"

Rach-Ur frowned. "Why are _we_ the backups? Why can't I be in the front line?"

"Because Mar has the Rhino Spirit, one of the most powerful Animal Spirits, if not _the_ most. And you… Well, you're _you_. I need my two best fighters to pack a punch when they come in. They'll be used to fighting the three of us and once you guys come in, knocking them off balance, they won't have enough time to recalibrate to not only the strength you two have, but also fighting the _five_ of us." Jak-Am explained.

After listening to his explanation, each of them smiled and nodded.

Mar-Ran smiled. "I guess you were called to be a master Battle Strategist for a reason, bro."

Jak-Am was extremely relieved to see they were accepting of his plan. It helped calm him when it came to his fears of being the leader. "Okay, then. The three of us will head down now. Mar… If you could teleport us?"

He nodded. "Of course."

And like that, the four of them headed down to the teleportation bay to commence their first mission as Power Rangers. Jak-Am only hoped that it wouldn't end up being their _only_ mission as Power Rangers.

. . .

Meledon Ranger leapt over Mondo, landing feet first on the Wizard of Deception's chest. As he performed a backflip off, he was hit midair by a Fire spell by Mondo, causing him fall to the ground in flames. He did a quick roll in the dirt to quench the flame, but he could still feel the damage on him.

 _This guy's too fast! What do I do!?_ Meledon wondered. He then frowned behind his visor as Mondo cast another Float spell.

"Quake 5!" Mondo screamed. Everything in the surrounding area began to shift and crumble. The ground beneath everyone gave way, opening up to chasms and crags.

The Pink Ranger jumped onto a wall, leaping off of it onto a ledge. Gara herself rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a chasm herself. Watching the scene and the chasm, images of watching Tria fall into the crevice hundreds of years prior filled Pink Ranger's mind. She shook her head quickly, getting the thought out of her brain.

Meledon Ranger jumped from one end of another chasm, trying to escape the gaping mouth of the Earth as he did. The scene reminded him of what had later been dubbed by the Alliance as the Final Siege, when he had leapt off of Saba to attack Master Vile, who had been attempting to use the Orb of Doom to destroy the Morphing Masters' headquarters on Onyx. He remembered what the Guardian had told him about that jump, and what he had seen in the Hall of Legends: had he not had Saba at that moment, he wouldn't have made the jump.

Even with his Nathadian Magic, Meledon Ranger missed the jump. He began sliding down the wall of the chasm, down to his destruction. As he did, Pink Ranger cried out in terror.

 _No… Not my sister_ _and_ _my husband… No!_ Pink Ranger thought to herself in agony. She immediately leapt off of her ledge and began to ninja streak down to Meledon. As she did, however, she felt a blast from Gara hit her, sending her flying into a mountain side. She rolled down, injured badly.

"Zordon! No!" Pink Ranger cried out in distress.

"One down, one to go…" Mondo the Wizard said, laughing. He leapt forward and began cascading multiple Bolt spells at the Wizard of Deception. With his Zocato stores replenished, he was able to block many of the bolts, but was having a difficult time staying on his feet as he was struck more than once.

"No… No! It can't end like this!" Meledon cried out. As he continued to slide down, he suddenly saw a vine descend down to him.

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi! Hold on!" Alpha 4 cried out. Meledon grabbed hold and pulled climbed up.

As he made his way up, he looked Alpha 4 up and down. "And who are you?"

"I am Alpha 4, the robotic assistant to Prince Kamen of Edenoi. I am here with a mission to help out the Resistance here on Earth!" Alpha 4 replied.

Meledon nodded. "Kamen is a good man. I appreciate him sending you here to help me."

"Oh, I am sorry! I don't mean that _I'm_ the help. I'm here _with_ the help!" Alpha 4 said happily.

Amidst the chaos ensuing around them, Meledon Ranger looked at the robot before him. "What _is_ the help then!"

"Ah-Hi-yah!" Someone screamed, doing a front flip down from a high mountain to land beside Alpha 4. "I'm the help. I am here to make sure Mondo doesn't use his Magic to destroy the universe. I am Masked Rider Wizard."


	23. Part 0 - Chapter 12: Out of Control

**Chapter Twelve: Out of Control**

Fenrir roared in anger. To think someone had the insolence to attack him was large slap in the face for him. He was determined to make Zen Aku pay for daring to face him.

Zen Aku stared as Fenrir coiled his muscles in anticipation of the pounce. "Lokar!? A little help here!"

Lokar turned around and set his eyes on the approaching Werewolf. He breathed in and, letting the air go into his lungs and get charged up, shot out his expiration at Fenrir.

Fenrir narrowed his eyes as he saw the fog emanating from Lokar's mouth. He ducked his head down and rolled midair, flying down to the dirt. At the same instant he hit dirt, he began to gallop forward.

"Lokar... LOKAR!?" Zen Aku screamed as he saw Lokar miss. Zen Aku looked down at the blaster he had invented. It was meant to mimic an advanced Magician's ability to channel their own inner Lifestream into an Ultima attack. Unfortunately for him, his own Lifestream stores had yet to be replenished, and the blaster was not yet ready to attack.

Lokar sneered and began channeling his Magic into his hands. Before another moment had passed, he shot several fireballs at Fenrir. Using his advanced senses, Fenrir dodged each attack. He then smiled as he leapt forward, pouncing Zen Aku.

"Ah!" Zen Aku screamed as he was hit by the Alpha Werewolf. He tried using his own powers to get Fenrir off him, but it was too late. He could feel claws and teeth sinking into his skin, ripping and tearing.

Then, it was suddenly over. The pressure from Fenrir's body had been alleviated by Lokar, who shot another gust of wind at Fenrir.

"Ah! Help!" Zen Aku shouted, clutching at one of the gashes on the arm that was most injured. He began sobbing in pain loudly.

Lokar frowned. _I can't let him fall here... he's central for me to get the_ _Greatest Treasure_ _._ He then bent over quickly, picking the scientist up and rushing him back to the lab that Zen Aku had set up for himself.

"Help... I need... transfusion..." Zen Aku gasped. He was beginning to lose consciousness.

"What... what do I do?" Lokar asked, searching through the piles of equipment in the lab.

"Hook... me... u-" Zen Aku said, lifting up his finger momentarily before passing out.

"What!? I don't see any..." Lokar said. He then stopped and looked to where Zen Aku had been pointing. Although Lokar didn't know much about science or medicine, he could recognize the machine as one from his days as a general: it was a machine for blood transfusions.

As he hooked Zen Aku up, he shook his head. _Look at me... doing what I swore I wouldn't do again. I'm risking my life for others. No one was ever there for me when I needed it._ He then had to remind himself that this was for his plan's sake, not Zen Aku's.

 _Lothor_ _said the Greatest Treasure in the Universe has the power to alter the past... That's what I'll do. I'll make sure my family was never there when... and I'll make sure I'll be the ultimate power in the universe, to ensure no one will ever hurt me or them ever again..._

As he saw the machine pumping blood into Zen Aku, which seemed to have been filled with some of his blood already as some sort of contingency plan, Lokar noticed the mind machine Zen Aku had made. He slowly walked over to it and smiled. _Why manipulate Zen Aku when I can take over his mind right here and now...?_

As Zen Aku's heart rate began to return to normal, Lokar placed the diodes on his temples. He then calmly flipped the switch on the mind control machine go "on". Lokar watched as Zen Aku's heart rate momentarily spiked before returning to its baseline. Unlike the Ten Terrors, Zen Aku wouldn't take very long to have his mind overridden, because he wasn't as powerful. Lokar watched as the red light on the machine became green, indicating Zen Aku was ready to be commanded.

"Zen Aku... Arise." Lokar ordered.

Zen Aku's eyes fluttered open. All of his memories were intact, but his neurons were ready to re-prioritize everything. He sat up straight and turned his head. "Yes, Lokar?"

"You will obey me and only me, understood?" Lokar said. He was glad Zen Aku had explained to him how the machine worked, so he knew how to use it against him. The machine would "plug into" the central nervous system of the intended subject, opening it up to be able to be "reprogrammed" by the first person it hears. Then, by simply turning the machine off, the reprogramming phase would be done.

As Zen Aku's brain was reconfigured, he looked to Lokar with a look of confusion. "Is there anything else?"

Lokar smiled. "No... you will just do what I need you to do."

As this final bit of instruction set in, Lokar flipped the switch and took the wires off of Zen Aku's head. "How are you feeling?" Lokar asked. He wanted to ensure the brains behind his operation hadn't been compromised.

Zen Aku frowned. "I'm... thirsty..."

Lokar laughed. "That's all? Well, I suppose we can fix that!" He then walked to the sink, grabbed a cup, and filled it with water. He turned around and headed back to Zen Aku, handing him the cup.

Zen Aku placed it to his lips and began to drink. As the water hit his tongue, he grimaced. "Ugh... Lokar... What did you _put_ in this!?"

Lokar looked at him in confusion. "Nothing. It's just water."

"Well, it certainly isn't doing it for me..." Zen Aku then smelled something. Sniffing, he looked down at his clothing. His mouth began to water as he saw the fresh blood covering his clothes.

Then, to Lokar's horror, Zen Aku ripped off his shirt and placed it to his mouth, suckling it like a baby with a pacifier. Lokar jumped forward and ripped it away from Zen Aku. "What are you doing!? Have you gone insane!?"

"Give it back! I'm so thirsty!"

"For blood!?"

Zen Aku smiled. Lokar stared in shock as he saw fangs where Zen Aku's canines used to be. "Is guess so... it tastes so good... so... right..."

Meanwhile, only a few yards away outside the building Zen Aku had made to be his lab, Serrator stared asXan charged up before him. Before Serrator could react, Xan fired a large ball of flames at Serrator. It hit him hard, sending him flying into a building.

Shimazu clapped. "Pretty fancy attack."

Xan then turned to the Demon and smiled a creepy smile. "You haven't seen anything yet... Mindblow..."

The attack seemed similar to the attack that hit Serrator, but blue instead of red in color. Although he saw it coming, Shimazu could not seem to move fast enough to evade the giant meteor-like ball of blue flame. When it hit him, though, he felt fine.

Shimazu laughed. "It seems as if you launched a dud, you... weird little man."

"We shall see..." Xan said calmly, placing his hands behind his back. He stood his ground, staring at Shimazu with all the patience in the world.

Shimazu then began to channel his power stores for an attack. As he felt the power coursing to his hands, he felt something odd. He didn't seem to be able to channel the same amount of power that he had been used to since he had become a Demon.

Xan placed a hand to his mouth, using his index finger and thumb to wipe some saliva off of his lips. "You don't seem to be doing well, Demon. Is it perhaps my spell? You see, it drains Magic Points away from whoever it hits and gives them to me, the spell caster."

"What!?" Shimazu screamed.

"And your Demon Magic was very nice. Let's see... Perhaps it can fuel a powerful attack... shall we try, say, my 'Catastrophe'?" Xan asked.

Shimazu stared in shock as Xan put his hands to the air. They were glowing with flames. He then pointed them to the Earth, sending the blasts down. The sheer power of the blasts catapulted him up to the heavens, high above the tallest tower of the Great City. He then pointed his hands at Shimazu and began pummeling him with all the power he had sapped from him. The power was focused into the small area where Shimazu stood. Xan watched with psychotic glee as the place turned into a crater. As he slowly lowered himself back to the Earth, he walked to the edge of the concaved area outside Zen Aku's laboratory.

Looking into the crater, he saw Shimazu crumpled body, barely clinging onto life at the center of the hole. He took off his glasses and smiled. He then began cleaning them with the end of his suit jacket as he said, "Oh, you sad little creature. You never stood a chance against me. Oh... it is no fault of yours. Hehe... And once I get the Greatest Treasure in the Universe, all will know my power. I will be a god, you see. Then, everyone will fall before me. All will be lik-"

Xan stopped. He suddenly felt himself unable to finish his sentence. He tried moving, but felt his motor functions slowly shutting down. His vision began to blur as he looked down. He could feel something in his torso, though it began to feel only like a shadow of some distant pain, long forgotten. He saw four long blades protruding from his stomach.

"There, there... Shh... You know, your monologue was quite ironic, seeing where you are right now." Serrator said, whispering into Xan's ear. He then pulled his fingernails out of Xan's body with a sickening plop. He watched as Xan fell to the ground on his knees.

As he was to fall face first into the crater, Serrator bent over and caught Xan with one hand. He chuckled and said, "You know something? You are quite powerful... You may actually be the key I am needing for a most delicious plan I have. Do you want me to save you?"

Xan frowned. "You have won. Leave me..."

Serrator laughed. "I can ensure you stay alive for quite some time in the state you are currently in. Do you _want_ to feel immense pain and be in a state of paralysis for hundreds of years?"

Xan looked at Serrator in shock. He felt much pleasure in the torture of others, and he knew how much pain could be inflicted to someone in such a situation. He panicked when he began to think he, himself, could be put in a similar position.

"Give me permission to end your pain. Allow me into your soul, so I can save you from my torment." Serrator said. He chuckled when he saw the terror in Xan's eyes.

"Yes..."

"Yes, what, _Master_ Xan?" Serrator said sarcastically. He revelled in the fact he was able to take down one of Lothor's Morphing Masters. Deep inside himself, he had to admit they were very powerful.

Xan looked down in defeat. "I... allow you to end my pain..."

Serrator laughed. "You're lucky I'm not Ifrit. That wording would've given him a hay day in granting one of his deadly 'wishes'."

Serrator then gently set Xan down upon the ground. Focusing, he produced one of his primary weapons: his fan. He pointed it at Xan and laughed. "You've made your choice."

A shot of Gedou Magic beamed out from Serrator through his Magical fan. The power regulator focused the beam into a deceptive gentle breeze. Before long, it wrapped itself around Xan's entire body, healing him of his fatal wounds.

Serrator looked at him. "Hmm... you aren't Human..."

Xan chuckled as he lifted himself up. As he didn't need it anymore, he left his glasses on the dirt. For the first time in years, he could see clearly without them. He looked at Serrator and laughed. "Looks can be deceiving..."

Serrator then fanned himself off. "I'll come back for you when the time is right, then. I will need you soon, my Nighlok."

Xan looked at him in confusion. "Nighlok!?"

"Oh, yes. A shame you aren't Human. I needed someone to be half Human, half Nighlok. But, I can still use you for other things. And don't worry about planning revenge. Soon, you will forget everything about yourself!" Serrator explained, laughing.

"I. Will. Find. You!" Xan screamed.

Serrator shook his head. "No. You won't." He then pointed his fan again at Xan and shot at the Earth. Gedou Magic dug deep until it hit it's target: the Sanzu River. Creating a small geyser, a stream of Sanzu waterspewed out, hitting Xan.

"What is this!?" Xan demanded, getting sprayed with the acidic red "water".

"Sanzu water. Or, like others call it, tainted Lifestream. The corrupt energy of those so foul, they refuse to assimilate into the Lifestream. The planet tries to filter it out of its life cycle by storing it somewhere underground. Now, my Nighlok... you are bonded with it. Without it, you cannot live! You will dry out! Ah-haha!" Serrator explained.

Xan, in a rage, lunged forward to destroy the Alpha Nighlok. Before he could, however, Serrator teleported away. Xan fell to the ground, howling with Rage.

Having been trying to avoid all of the chaos, Octoroo cautiously made his way through the city. As he rounded a corner, he saw Xan screaming in anger.

"Master Xan! Master Xan! What is the problem!?" Octoroo cried out.

"I'm... CHANGING! AHHH! IT HURTS!" Xan screamed.

"What!? How!? By who!?" Octoroo screamed back in panic.

"I... I can't remember..." Xan said. Then, realizing he was forgetting everything, he grabbed Octoroo by the shoulders. "You need to get me to under the Earth, to Sanzu waters. I will dry up if you don't!"

"Ooh-ah-ooh! Where does the Sanzu flow!?" Octoroo asked, confused by what was being said.

Xan looked at the hole Serrator had used to shoot Xan with Sanzu water. Having only a faint memory of the incident, he shot some Magic at the hole. "There... take me... there... I created a portal..."

Octoroo dragged him over, using all of his strength. "There you go! Now crawl into the hole!"

"Come with me... whoever you are... I need... help... Ahh!" Xan screamed. Octoroo stared in horror as he saw Xan's skin begin to crack. He began to see his red muscles show beneath Xan's skin.

Octoroo thought for a moment. _I don't know what will happen, but... I can't remember the last time someone was nice to me. Xan has been teaching me Magic to become better, to defend myself... I can look after him for a while... He seems to be losing his memories._

Octoroo nodded and helped drag Xan into the hole. Soon, they found themselves falling down, deeper and deeper into the Earth. After a few moments, they found themselves on the shores of the Sanzu River. Within moments, Xan crawled into the river to soak up its toxicity.

"Ahh!" Octoroo screamed. He began feeling his skin boiling. "What is happening!?"

"You seem to be undergoing the same process I have... Perhaps the gap I created to get here was imbued with the same power that changed me..." Xan said, feeling better in the river. The "water" was so soothing to him, he didn't notice the chunks of skin the acidic formula was causing to fall off his person.

"What!?" Octoroo screamed in horror.

"Come in... you'll be healed..." Xan said calmly.

Octoroo nodded and waddled in. He could feel the fluids flowing through and around him. He was truly feeling better. "You were right, Master Xan..."

"Master Xan, huh? Was that my name?"

"Ooh-ah-ooh! You have forgetten!? Oh!" Octoroo cried out in surprise.

"Hmm... look, little one..." Xan said, pointing to the beach. Octoroo did not, however. He was too fixated on the creature that Xan was becoming: a mutated version of his true alien form.

"I am Octoroo, Master Xan... Your friend..."

"I'm sure... but on that beach... I see footprints in the sand. Someone else has been here recently. We need to go around and find all of the entrances to the river and affect it with my Magic, to shield it from anyone not like us..." Xan explained, now fully transformed.

"What _are_ we?" Octoroo said, sadness creeping in as he become resigned to his fate.

One word came to mind. "Nighloks. Condemned to this underground prison. And we will ensure only other Nighlok come down here. Come with me, Octoroo."

"Yes, Master Xan."

"Hmph. Whoever I was before I became a Nighlok is gone. I will go by a new name."

"One that matches the look of dread you will strike into the heart of the one who put you down here, I'm sure." Octoroo replied.

Xan laughed. "Yes... I like that. From here on out, you little squid, I will be known as Master Xandred!"

. . .

As Michael flew to strike down Goresakubo, he felt himself be stopped by Mythical Master. An electric looking Saber was produced from his black cloak. He laughed as he slashed at Michael, meeting his magnificent blade with his powerful weapon.

"This is not your fight..." Michael said.

"It is now." Mythical Master said, laughing. He dislodged his Saber and swung again, missing by mere inches his target: Michael's neck.

Beelzebub laughed. "It is time this ends now. Ahhh!" He screamed. He then leapt through the air, ready to take his brother's life.

"Back down, beast!" Castiel screamed. He flew down in fury from space, crashing like a meteor into the Alpha Demon. They both slammed into the dirt. Castiel began swinging his fists as he straddled the Alpha Demon, each fist powered with White Energy.

Azazel grunted and jumped, diving into Castiel. He pointed at the Ethereal and laughed. "You can't take us down!"

Castiel laughed, wiping white blood from his mouth. "Let's just see about that." He charged his hands up either White Energy a second time and sprinted forward to meet Azazel.

As they did, Castiel sent as distress out to all Ethereals. Within moments, invisible to them, D came in from a vortex created by his wrist tech. He frowned as he looked at it. "The Time Anomaly is getting greater. I cannot tell who is important to the timeline anymore..."

As he said this, Chen walked through a different vortex, appearing beside D. "This is not good. We need the Pattern to be upheld for the Traveler."

D sneered. "I know this. My big problem is that I don't know who to attack."

"Then don't participate."

"If I don't, my cover will be blown. They will wonder why I did not come when called." D replied in frustration.

Shaking his head, Chen looked at D. "Wait a moment, then..." Chen then went back into the vortex, while D turned back to watch the brawl. While he had been conversing with his fellow Freelancer, many more Ethereals had appeared.

"Castiel!" Tessa cried out. She flew through the air, slamming into Diabolico as he attempted to hit Castiel from behind.

Meanwhile, Michael had his hands full as he attempted to take on Beelzebub and Mythical Master simultaneously. "You can't win!"

"I WILL win, brother. And when I do, I will turn you into a Demon, too, and we will be together again!" Beelzebub cried out.

Michael sneered in disgust. "Never! What a perverted image of our family! How dare you disgrace father!" Michael then closed his eyes and began to focus on the Corona Aurora upon his head. He knew not what it was capable of, but he was ready to find out.

As he channeled the energy of the "Crown of the Gods" into himself, Mythical Master pulled out his stolen wrist tech. Analyzing the power signature coming from the crown, he realized it was getting powerful enough to bend time and space. Easily enough energy to wipe both the Demons and himself off the face of the universe. He typed in some digits quickly, hoping he was doing it correctly. Within a matter of moments, a beam fired out from the wrist tech, surrounding Michael.

"Huh!?" Michael cried out in confusion. Before he could react, he was displaced from his prior position to one a mere four feet away. The Corona Aurora, however, stayed in the same spot. The moment Michael had been moved, it fell to the ground and began rolling away. Beelzebub, Mythical Master, and Michael all stopped momentarily before diving simultaneously after the crown. They ran into each other, impeding their progression toward their goal. They watched in frustration as the crown rolled into a river running nearby.

"No!" Michael cried out. As he did, Beelzebub realized they were on top of each other. With one of his free arms, he picked Michael up, lifting himself off the ground with two of his other arms. The dragon like Demon then stood up and flung Michael into a tree. Michael groaned in pain as he hit the bark of the tree with tremendous force.

As this occurred, Chen reappeared. "The Traveler said that you should do all you can to interfere with Mythical Master: He is a Jumper, not a Time Traveler."

D considered this. "Interesting... Do the Watchers know this?"

"No, and they won't. Whatever conflict they are having within themselves caused this Time Anomaly, but the Traveler said he doesn't want us to stop the chaos they are inflicting upon themselves. He said it will just make his work easier later on against the Supreme." Chen explained.

D cocked up an eyebrow. "But... this Jumper will continue to affect the Pattern, will he not?"

"Yes, but the Traveler said in the end, it will be better for our cause. So, don't destroy Mythical Master. Just stop him from doing anything else harmful until you receive further word from the Traveler."

"If that's what the Traveler wants..." D said. He then typed a sequence of digits into his wrist tech, causing himself to appear. Targeting Mythical Master, he saw him using his own wrist tech to have the Corona Aurora come to him. D frowned and shot a blast at the crown, sending it flying away from Mythical Master's tractor beam.

"What!? How-?" Mythical Master cried out. Before he could react, D was next to him. He punched him in the chest hard, sending him flying away. He then ran over to the injured Ethereal King before Beelzebub arrived.

"We need to get out of here, my king. We are losing." D said.

"But... the Corona Aurora..." Michael said.

"We have to leave it..."

"But the Demons will get it!"

D, realizing that would mean Mythical Master would get it, nodded and said, "Then let us bring our powers together for a cloaking spell. We can return later to get it."

Michael nodded. D then caused his wings to appear, lifting off from the ground with Michael in his arms. They then both pointed their hands down to the planet, feeling where the Corona Aurora was, and blasted it with a temporary cloaking spell.

Castiel, seeing Michael with D, nodded and shouted, "Ethereals: fall back!" Within a matter of moments, they had all taken to the skies. They were shocked for two reasons as they fled. The first was that not a one of them had fallen to the Demons. The second scared them, though: they had been unable to destroy any of the Demons. The worst part of it was that it was only five Demons and one non-Demon, against the thirty Ethereals that had congregated around their king.

Castiel, catching up to D and Michael, frowned. "You lost that weapon of yours, my king. What will we do if the Demons get it?"

Michael shook his head, leaving D's clutches to fly on his own. "We cannot let that happen, Cass. We must return soon to get it back, or Beelzebub will end up junctioning the power he has from that horrible orb with that of the crown, and if he does that... who knows what kind of damage he could cause then."

. . .

September stared at the gray wall in his solitary cell. As a "former" Watcher, they wanted to ensure he was completely alone. The Freelancers knew Watchers had advanced skills, and they didn't want September using those skills to plan an escape with more people. He was much easier to control by himself.

He sighed as he looked around. Not one ounce of natural light shone in his cell. Without a window, the only light he got was from his daily fifteen minute walk. That would have been a nice thing for him, but of course this bit of pleasure was tainted horribly. The time he was given to walk had a four minute session involved, which session was when the prison would drain all the prisoners of a portion of their Lifestream.

The Freelancers stated this was to ensure that prisoners stayed docile and unable to escape. September knew better, though. After his time in what he called "The Universe that Ended", where he had his epiphany of the grand scheme of the Watcher organization and his role in it, he had realized that everything that happened had an important piece in the puzzle. After he realized the existence of the Supreme, he connected many dots, one of which was the Freelancer prison.

September had realized the Rogue Prison was being used to not only detain those who threatened the Pattern, but also to power the Supreme's grand plan. Unfortunately for September, he couldn't figure out _what_ was being powered by the prisoners' Lifestream. All he knew was that it was involved in the Supreme's plan to end all existence and promote himself as a god.

As September thought of this, he became frustrated. He wished he could figure out _how_ the Supreme planned on doing that. All he could figure out was that if he destroyed the Pattern, he could save the multiverse. With that in mind, he looked at the guards talking and joking in the main hallway outside his cell. He knew they would be his ticket to freedom. He knew that he would need to use them to break out of the Rogue Prison.

. . .

App, as he walked back from their practice, laughed as he patted Jakon on the back. "Good job today! I was very impressed!"

"Why? Because I was finally able to take Jor down during sparring?"

"Yes! That's exactly why! You're getting better!"

"Hmph. Now it's what? Five hundred to one for Jor?"

Jor laughed. "Hey, bro! Don't think that way! You just had a steeper learning curve!"

"Learning curve? Since when have you understood concepts like that?" Jakon snapped.

Jor looked hurt. "Hey, man. Calm down, will ya. There's no reason to act like that..."

Trueheart, walking behind them, nodded. "Yes. Do not let your anger cloud your best judgment."

As Jakon was to respond, he looked off toward the Great City. He stopped and pointed. "Is that smoke?"

Jor cocked his head to the side. "Sheesh... I knew practice was going on late, but do you think we already missed that thing Lothor called a 'BBQ'? It sounded pretty good..."

App looked at the cloud of smoke darkly. "That's no food smoke... Let's go! Now!"

The four fighters sprinted forward, getting to the entrance of the Great City and staring in shock. Ifrit and Cujo were at the gates, blocking the way for people to escape.

"Just one wish, and I can help you out of the city..." Ifrit pitched, giving the horrified crowd a smile as Cujo, in his canine form, barked and snapped at the people trying to run around him. The four Morphing Masters could hear screams happening from behind the city walls.

"Hey! You!" Jor screamed.

Jakon rolled his eyes. "There goes the element of surprise..."

"...Sorry..." Jor said, giving them all a sheepish grin.

Ifrit turned and smiled. "Oh, hello. Do you have a wish for me to grant?"

App curled his lip. "I know a Djinn when I see one. Guys... Be careful with your language around this one. Once you 'technically' wish something around him, he will gain access to your soul and consume it."

"I guess this is what we've been practicing for..." Jakon said, getting into a fighting stance.

Trueheart nodded. "Power of the Winds!" Trueheart concentrated as tumultuous gusts began forming around him.

App stepped forward. "Power of the Samurai!" As he focused, special armor appeared upon App. It was on his shins, shoulders, torso, and head. He jumped and landed to the ground in a fighting stance.

Ifrit curled his lips into a smile. "Shall we dance?"

A few yards away from the city entrance, Octomus and Dai Shi casually stepped out of a building. Ensuring no one saw them, they snuck behind some crates and watched. They had given their slaves their instructions.

From within the building, having been recently teleported up to the surface, Octomus' Ten Terrors walked out, going down a flight of stairs. They wore wicked looks on their faces. They were intent on following Octomus' orders: destroy everyone in their path until they got to the Greatest Treasure in the Universe.

Each of the Ten Terrors had at one time been a mighty Magician, wielding great political power within the hierarchy of Wizards, Warlocks, Witches, and the like. If any of them had seen the once great sorcerers at that moment, they would first of all be shocked, because they had been missing for years. Their next reaction would be one of terror, because they were nearly soulless compared to what they once were.

As they walked down, one person was bold enough to confront them. This fighter, a member of Lothor's "Top", pulled out his blade and pointed at them. "I am the mighty Zurgane! What business do you have here!?" He tried not to breathe hard, as he had just barely escaped a confrontation with the Alpha Leviatian,Roman.

Sculpin stepped forward. Hate dripped off his tongue like poison. "We are here to destroy anyone who stops us from getting to the Greatest Treasure in the Universe."

Swallowing hard, Zurgane got into a fighting stance. "I am one who will stand in your way. Best of luck trying to take me down, though."

From the top of a tower, Regina watched, smiling, as Killian stood beside her.

"It appears as if we have defectors, Regina." Killian said, smiling.

She smiled back. "Oh, how _dreadful_. Who would ever think to betray Lothor?"

"Maybe we should try to get the Greatest Treasure now, before they do." Killian suggested.

Before she could reply, she stopped. A disturbance in the air made her lightheaded. Killian frowned as he saw this and asked, "What's wrong?"

She smiled. "It's the Crystal of Doom... I can feel it..."

"How?"

"I cast a spell on the Crystal of Doom some time ago. Some of it has been broken into fragments, and now is unattended. We have to get to it now, before it's too late!" Regina cried out.

Killian frowned. "What about those two and the Greatest Treasure?"

Regina laughed. "Those buffoons? They'll never get close to it. I don't care _who_ they have working for them."

As Regina and Killian went to get prepared for their jouney, on the other side of the Great City, Phoebe, Prue, Paige, and Piper leapt from wall to wall, trying to find Lothor. Vexacus rolled around, dodging their Magical spells as he, too, attempted to find the leader of the Morphing Masters. At one point, he stopped and shot a blast up, hitting Prue straight on.

"Ahh!" She screamed. As she fell, Piper jumped up and caught her.

"I got ya, sis." Piper said. They both landed on a walkway on the wall of the city, connecting two towers together. As they turned, they were surprised to find Lothor running in their direction, with Ivicar close behind.

Lothor stopped and snapped his fingers. "Drat! I _did_ take a wrong turn. I knew we should've taken a left back at tower four..."

Prue smiled. "Well... here we are. You know... We don't like the power you seem to have right now."

Piper nodded. "So we're here to make sure you don't progress any further."

"Ivicar? Stand back. You're too valuable to get hurt." Lothor said, uncharacteristically serious.

"But-"

"That is an order." He said.

Ivicar nodded and ran back to stay in the tower behind them. Lothor's hands began glowing with a blue and black glow.

Paige and Phoebe by that point had felt their sisters' encounter and leapt up, leaving Vexacus behind. Paige laughed. "A clown? Their powerful leader is a _clown_?"

Lothor blew her a kiss. "Oh, yes... I'm a _clown_. And... Wait... Queen Cora!? What are _you_ doing here!?" Lothor said, turning off his attack.

Paige looked at him, surprised. "Someone else calling me by that name? Well, whoever this Cora is must be very similar to me, if she was a queen."

Lothor looked at her, confused. Then, he smiled. "Of course! That makes perfect sense! I should have thought of that before!"

"What are you talking about, clown?" Phoebe demanded, losing patience.

"How you were there, but now you're here, but it's not _you_ you... just... you." Lothor explained. He thought abstractly about his journey from his former kingdom to his current location.

Phoebe shook her head. "That's it! He's toast!" She began charging up for a spell.

Lothor wagged his finger. "Nuh-uh! Naughty little Witches... NO ONE DEFIES LOTHOR!" He then reached into his pocket, pulling out a small, blur gem. He threw it at them.

"Protect!" Paige shouted.

Lothor laughed. "That... will not help... Zocato!"

Before they could flinch, Lothor's Zocato power erupted from him. It shockwaved out and hit the crystal. The four Witches shrieked as the light hit the crystal, then after it was filtered by it, hit them. Lothor laughed in glee as the Zocato power from the gem - like crystal caused the sisters to be sucked up into it.

Vexacus, from the opposite tower where Ivicar watched, grunted. "He is much more powerful than I supposed... I must rethink this..." He then turned around and ran down the stairs of the tower. Once at the bottom, he focused and ninja streaked over the opposite wall, leaving to reformulate his plans.

Ivicar left the tower and approached his master. "What was _that_?"

Lothor laughed as he walked over and picked up the gem. "It is called a Crystal Eye. One of my special artifacts. I have trapped those poor Witches in it."

Ivicar bent over and stared into it. "Is there any way out?"

Lothor shrugged. "I dunno... something about the stars aligning or something. The reason _I_ used it is for the ability to channel their spirits into some sort of doll. If I follow a certain incantation, one of the spirits in this gem's dimension will come to me and possess the doll, and through some sort of loophole in the Laws of Magic, where I will be controlling a doll that _happens_ to have a spirit in it, I can control someone _against their will_!"

"Amazing!" Ivicar said, in awe of Lothor's power.

He nodded. "Yes. Yes it is. And so am I. I even came up with a cool little name for the doll: Madame Woe. Get it? Because they are in woe as they are in their little dimension!"

"That's simply devious!" Ivicar said. As he did, they heard a commotion below them. Rushing over to the side of the walkway they were on, they saw Auron and Tidus battling Dracula and Deviot.

"Back off, Fang-face!" Tidus warned. He pointed his blade at Dracula.

Dracula chuckled lightly. "Oh, you poor little Human... You have no idea how much in trouble you are, do you? I'm that thing that goes bump in the night. My people are the things that crawl behind you when you feel that someone is watching you over your shoulder. I am older than your entire species... and I will outlast you, too."

Auron laughed. "You sure do talk big. Let's see if you can back that up, bloodsucker."

"I am going to enjoy destroying you." Deviot said smugly.

"And what's your special power?" Tidus asked. "Scaring little children?"

"How's about we find out?" Deviot suggested, smirking.

"Fine by me..." Auron said. As he did, Tidus jumped forward into Dracula. Auron shouted after him, "No! I'll take him, not you!"

Tidus laughed as he slashed at Dracula. "It's okay, old guy! I got this!"

He was surprised that the Alpha Vampire didn't even flinched as the blade landed, digging into his shoulder. Deviot rushed forward to intercept Auron as he tried to get to Tidus' aid while Dracula grabbed the blade with his bare hands and pulled it out of the groove it created in his shoulder. He smiled as he tossed Tidus into a wall.

As Tidus slammed into the wall, Lothor laughed overhead. "Oh, this is _quite_ entertaining!" He then snapped his fingers and caused a tub of popcorn to appear in his hands. He offered some to Ivicar.

Ivicar looked at it and laughed, taking a handful as Dracula picked Tidus up and began ramming his head into the wall. Ivicar then said, "You sure do take to heart the whole 'relaxed' approach to villainy, don't you?"

Lothor nodded with a mouthful of popcorn. "Uh yer. Iz da ernly wer ta work sterss furr!"

"Huh?"

Swallowing, Lothor said, "Yes, it's the only way to work stress free."

"Ah." Ivicar said, turning back to watch the fight as he ate popcorn.

Tidus, beginning to lose consciousness, could see that the wound on Dracula's shoulder had already healed. _No... I can't fall like this..._

Auron heard Dracula laughing as he tossed Tidus to the ground. He frowned and looked at Deviot. "No offense, but our play-date is over."

Deviot swung his fist. Auron ducked down and swept Deviot's legs out from under him. He then swung his large sword at Dracula. Just as he had planned, the broad side hit Dracula, sending him to the ground. Auron then ran up and stood between the Alpha and Tidus.

"If you want the boy, you have to go through me." Auron said.

Dracula looked him up and down. "Hmm... I usually like my meals younger... and beaten quite badly, as you can tell." He smiled his fanged smile as he pointed at Tidus. "But... I guess you'll do as an appetizer. You must've aged quite nicely."

As Dracula leapt forward, baring his fangs, Auron chuckled. "You have no idea..."

Tidus stared in horror as Dracula pounced onto Auron, digging his fangs into his throat.

"No... Auron..." Tidus gasped. He tried crawling over to Auron's sword, but couldn't gather the strength.

Dracula, as he fed, suddenly stopped. A look of confusion was housed upon his face, before quickly becoming one of disgust. He jumped off of Auron, clutching at his stomach. "What is this...!? Some sort of joke!?"

Auron lifted himself up and laughed. "Yup. Ha. Ha. Joke's on you, buddy."

Dracula's skin began to bubble. Blood began pouring out of his mouth. Some of it was from his victims that day, but most was his own.

Lothor's eyes grew wide with surprise as he saw this. He elbowed Ivicar and said, "Whoa! What a twist! That's something out of a M. Night Shyamalan movie!"

Ivicar looked at him in confusion. "Huh?"

Lothor groaned. "Never mind... just watch."

Tidus stared in disbelief as Dracula's eyes were reduced to liquid, flowing down his cheeks. Within a matter of seconds, all that was left of Dracula was a puddle of gore, his suit, and his skeleton.

Lothor frowned at the sight. He slowly handed Ivicar the popcorn bag. "I've... lost my appetite."

Deviot stared at the skeleton, then to Auron. He frowned and ran in the other direction. He didn't wish to meet a similar fate.

Auron walked over to Tidus and helped him up. As Auron wrapped Tidus' arm around his Auron's neck, Tidus looked at him and asked, "How... how did you do that?"

Auron laughed. "All Vampires are allergic to dead man's blood."

"Yeah, I know _that_ , but how did you do that to him? You aren't dead... And he's an Alpha. I thought they were super resilient." Tidus said, confused.

Auron chuckled. "That they are..."

"...Auron... What's going on?" Tidus asked, getting worried.

Auron smiled as he walked Tidus to Zen Aku's laboratory, to get medical treatment. "Well, kid... I guess it's time you found out the truth about me. Let me introduce myself: Hello, my name is Auron. I am the Alpha Zombie."

. . .

Mesogog and Dracul looked around, hoping to see no one had taken advantage of their absence and the chaos of Lothor's "party" to rob them. It seemed as if they were good.

"Hello, Mesogog. What are you doing here?" Lije of the Dawn said, walking out from the shadows.

"Ah!" Dracul shouted, jumping in fright.

Mesogog sneered. "What were you doing, just standing there in the shadows?"

Lije smiled. "My business. What are _you_ doing here, walking around and getting scared."

He gave her a cold smile. " _My_ business."

She stopped smiling and glared at him. "Remember, lizard man... In the end, you work for me, got it? Now, once that little battle ends over at the Great City, we will start actively trying to take down Lothor."

Mesogog bowed. "Yes, Master Lije."

As she walked away, to do whatever it was she did in the shadows, Mesogog marched into his office. He picked up a communicator and dialed a number.

Dracul, walking in, gave him a quizzical look. "Who are you calling?"

"The Dino Guardians." Mesogog answered coldly.

"What!? If they come down here and see this complex, they'll put us in violation of our parole! We'll go back to jail!" Dracul said, shocked.

"Yes, so we'll need to hide all of this before they come down, right?" Mesogog said, irritated. He waited to be connected.

"But... why!?"

"Because when I tell them that we are being harassed by Lije of the Dawn, by their strict code to protect the dinosaurs and all of their offshoots, they will be forced to come down and rid us of her." Mesogog explained.

Dracul slowly smiled. "That's brilliant!"

Mesogog nodded. "I know." He then stiffened up as the leader of the Dino Guardians answered. "This is Mesogog. I have news for you. My people are being subjugated to slave like conditions. By who? Lije of the Dawn."

The man on the other end of the line sighed. He walked over to his desk and filled out a paper, asking for his team to accompany him. He marked down the destination as "Earth". Then, to Mesogog, he said, "Fine. We'll be there as soon as I can. And remember, I'm still going to check on you to see if you're being good."

Mesogog laughed. "Oh, I'm _always_ good."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm sure." He then ended the transmission and picked up his battle sword. Then, he walked over to a paper and signed his name on it, approving the assignment for his team to head to Earth. The name on the paper read: "Geki".


	24. Pt3-Chapter12:Credit Where Credit is Due

**Chapter Twelve: Credit Where Credit is Due**

As Rita returned to the Moon Palace, she frowned as she saw everything was unceremoniously silent. She couldn't even hear the babbling coming from Squatt or Baboo. Tiptoeing about, past the eerily silent Z Putties, Rita went down a hallway where she saw a light. As she got closer, she could hear machinery.

Looking into the door, she saw Finster looking over schematics as he directed Baboo, Squatt, and a legion of Putty Patrollers. They were busy at work on Cyclopsis, trying to get it ready as quickly as possible for Goldar to pilot.

Rita turned around and walked away. As she did, she heard a low voice coming from the other end of that sector of the palace. Quietly, she made her way in the direction of the voice until she was at Lord Zedd's chamber room. Peaking in, she saw a hologram of Dark Specter speaking to Lord Zedd.

"-nd the tests are conclusive, Zedd." Dark Specter ended his sentence, Rita missing a good chunk of it.

Zedd looked down, lost in thought. "Very interesting... How did I come to be? Who was I before, then?"

Dark Specter shook his head. "There is no way to tell. Your body is gone. And by how you described yourself before taking the host you currently have, I wouldn't be surprised if there are even more mysteries behind who you really are."

"Most interesting..." Zedd said.

"But that is not the only reason I wished to speak with you. I also wanted to commend you for all you have been doing on Earth. I just received a report from my general,Ecliptor, who surveyed the area. A mighty impressive war currently happening. I am pleased you are not only interrupting the Resistance, but also Dai Shi and The Master."

"I am glad you find my work to be up to your standards, oh mighty Dark Specter!" Zedd proclaimed, trying his best to not be boastful. He feared that one wrong move could set Dark Specter into a rage.

"Not only was your handling of your new Putty Patrol expertly distributed throughout the universe, but your recruiting of that Wizard of Deception was quite masterful. If you continue performing so well, I will ensure you a new post, closer to the Dark Fortress. You are proving yourself to be a mighty general indeed."

Rita bit her lip in fury. Red Energy emanated from her staff, amplifying her anger ten fold. _What!?_ _I_ _was the one who personally set up each Putty attack! And the_ _Ghost of Darkness_ _said he came to Zedd to get to_ _me_ _! How dare he take credit for everything I've done!_

"And Rita Repulsa? Is she living up to be the mighty general her father was before he retired to Gamma Vile?" Dark Specter asked.

Zedd sighed heavily. "She's... a work in progress. Let's leave it at that."

Rita curled her lips in fury and immediately turned around. She stormed down the hallway in anger. She made her way to her balcony, staring off into the starry sky of space.

 _What am I even doing here still!? I work hard to get my base back, and what happens!? Zedd takes all the credit!? Why am I wasting my time here still!?_ Rita thought. _How can I even compete with him!? He is even going to have his own zord soon..._

Rita then stopped. She slowly reached into a pocket of her dress. She stopped searching when she heard her rings clink on something metallic. She smiled as she pulled the object out of her pocket. The Dragon Coin.

 _He's got a zord!? Well so do I! I'll find out where_ _Zordon_ _put the_ _Dragonzord_ _, then I'll use it before Zedd can use his stupid zord! We'll see who's getting the nice promotion then!_ Rita thought with glee.

As she did, a green light emanated from the coin. Green Energy began to circulate around Rita, cutting off the Red Energy from her staff. As that happened, the Blue Energy that was awoken centuries before in the Caves of Deception began to make its way through Rita's body.

Rita found herself to be very calm suddenly. The anger that permeated her very being for the past few centuries seemed to be lifted. At that moment, she found herself remembering more of the time she had been taken by Eye Guy as a young girl.

"Margaret! No!" The woman a ways away yelled as the main eye hovered above the young girl. Rita stood, not in the scene itself, but watching it nonetheless.

"Honey... come this way... come on, Honey... Just don't make any sudden movements and I think the eye won't get you..." The man said, trying to act as calmly as he could.

Suddenly, Bansheera appeared next to Margaret. The two people stopped, frozen in fear.

Bansheera smiled. "Let me introduce myself: I am The Queen. I am here to rule over each and every one of you worms. Now, you may be wondering what I want with this child of yours. Well, let me ease your minds. I don't wish to harm her at all. I only wish to bring her into my special group for special children."

"Please..." The woman said, balling. "Please... We'll do anything!"

Bansheera smiled. Ignoring the request, she continued: "You see... my sensors picked up a strong energy reading coming from your little planet here. Oh, how happy was I that it was a child! Their brains are so easy to twist, aren't they!? You see... I am going to take this little girl from you, and raise her up in my powerhouse called Alphabet Soup! Isn't that marvelous!? Your daughter is going to be one of the future leaders of the universe!"

The man placed his hands together, as if you plead. "Please... Your majesty... I'm sure you can find someone else... she's our daughter and-"

" _Was_ your daughter. Oh, and that thing about your daughter being safe? That didn't apply to you." Bansheera said. Laughing, she snapped her fingers. Suddenly, Margaret's parent were ablaze, covered in black and blue fire.

"Nooo!" Margaret yelled.

Bansheera laughed and made her way to Margaret. "Don't worry, little girl. Auntie Regina will take care of you!" As she bent over to touch Margaret's face, the screams of her parents resounding in a cacophony of horror behind Bansheera, Margaret pushed her and tried to run.

Bansheera stood up and rolled her eyes. She turned to Eye Guy's Main Eye and threw up her hands. "Well!? What are you going to do!?"

The eye turned and shot a laser, enveloping Margaret and sucking her into his dark dimension. Bansheera then laughed. "Alright. We're done here. Diabolico? Loki?"

LokiD and Diabolico then teleported onto the scene. They bowed before her as Diabolico asked, "Yes, my Queen?"

"I'm done with this planet. Destroy everyone on it before torching it."

They saluted her and went on their way. Then, Bansheera and the Main Eye teleported away to their ship in space.

Suddenly, Rita found herself in the dimension where several kids were gathered. They all looked scared. One of the children was screaming, being inside of a giant orb. It was rotating around and around. Rita could tell with her Magic that the boy was being drained of his knowledge and being brainwashed simultaneously. Even in her evil state of mind, the scene bothered her.

Before long, she found her younger self, curled in a ball to the side. She was sobbing silently. Rita herself tried hard not to cry, too.

Before long, a small little girl ran up to Margaret. She slowly sat down beside her and placed an arm around the crying girl. The girl looked to be about five years older than Margaret, who appeared to be around the age of nine herself.

"If what happened to you resembles anything that happened to me, I'm so sorry." The older girl said, hugging Margaret tighter.

"My mom! My dad!" Margaret sobbed. Rita's heart twisted in sympathy.

The older girl nodded. "Yeah... Mine, too. And my sister..."

Margaret sniffled. "Were you two close?"

The older girl nodded. "Yes. We are... we're twins." Then wanting to change the subject, she looked at Margaret and asked her what her name was.

"Margaret. Yours?" She said, wiping tears away.

The girl smiled. "My name is Divitria. Nice to meet you."

The scene froze as Rita stared, wide eyed. Suddenly, she was back on the balcony. "Divatox...?" She said aloud, letting the realization sink in. She felt sick. She looked down at the Dragon Coin and shook her head.

 _Why waste my time attacking Zedd? My life has been nothing but a lie..._ She thought as she pocketed the coin. As the coin went in, Red Energy was again wrapped itself around her, the way it was supposed to, like Lord Zedd intended. The familiar feeling of rage descended upon Rita again, clouding her judgment and brainwashing her, just as she was brainwashed as a child to become the Monster who would eventually lead Master Vile to destroying the Morphing Masters.

She cackled silently to herself. _Why attack Zedd with_ _Dragonzord_ _? Because he took what's mine, that's why! Then I can become powerful enough to attack Bansheera myself, for taking what was mine away from me! I am Rita Repulsa, and no one will stop me from becoming the most powerful Witch in the universe! That. Is. My._ _Destiny_ _!_

She then walked over to her telescope. "Well, let's see what we have going on down on Earth right now. Perhaps spying on Zordon can give me a little insight on where he may have put Dragonzord!"

As she looked down, the first thing she saw was the giant battle she had heard was ongoing from Dark Specter. Focusing in, she saw one of her henchman, Goldar, roaring as he fought Deviot.

Deviot shot at Goldar with his wrist mounted cannon. "I'm not here for you, monkey. Stand away!"

"Er... I am here to destroy everyone! I am the mighty Goldar!" He screamed, shooting fireballs from his eyes. The flames hit Deviot, sending him falling to the dirt hard.

He pulled himself up and sneered. "I need you to move out of my way. This is the last place where I need to set up my detonator!"

Goldar laughed. "I don't care what you are trying to do! I won't let you away!" He was determined to show Lord Zedd he was going to take what he told him to do seriously, and destroy everyone who crossed paths with him.

Deviot then pulled out a remote. "You leave me no choice, then. Bio Mech Rangers! It's time for you to get back into the swing of things!"

Five colored lights descended to Earth from Deviot's hidden ship in orbit. The Bio Mech team appeared suddenly before Deviot. He laughed and pointed at Goldar. "Take care of him while I get things settled."

Bio Mech Red nodded. "Yes, master! Rangers? Let's tear him apart!"

Bio Mech Blue laughed coldly. "It feels good to be back!"

"Sure does. Time to loosed our legs. Hi-yah! Bio Mech Pink stated, rushing forward.

Goldar laughed at first, seeing the cyborg rangers carried no weapons on their person. He soon found himself regretting the laughter as the speed the rangers had outclassed his own. Before long, he found himself cornered and being beaten soundly by the evil ranger team.

Deviot laughed and pulled out his pocket device. He began the triangulation anew, to find where his detonator needed to go. As he read the device, he sighed loudly. "I don't believe this. The one day I need to come down to this wretched rock, in the spot I need to be in, a war breaks out involving the most powerful fighters in the universe. I must be one lucky Shapeshifter..."

As he walked about, looking down at his device, he passed by the area where Meledon Ranger was fighting. Meledon jumped up, stepping down on Masked Rider Wizard's shoulder as he descended to propel himself forward even further.

"Tiger Blast!" He yelled out, shooting red lasers from his tiger saber. He watched as the lasers hit the Mondo the Wizard hard. He was pleased to finally have gotten a hit on the quick Magician, but quickly deflated again as he landed. He could see the damage did hardly anything to Mondo.

"It's called Wall. I hope you learn soon that you cannot hit me." Mondo said. He laughed as he pointed a hand at Meledon Ranger. "Berserk."

Meledon watched in confusion as a red mist shot out from Mondo. Before he could react, the mist went into his helmet, with the intent of causing Meledon to go into a Rage Mode. This state of being would be one that would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for Meledon to kick out of.

"Zordon!" The Masked Rider yelled. He looked down at his ring and focused. "Infinity Ring! Power of Magic!"

Turning off his tap to the Morphing Grid and tuning fully into the Magic Grid, Infinity Wizard pointed his ring at Mondo. "Debarrier!"

Mondo, surprised, felt his many Magical cloaks melt away. He frowned and threw out both of his hands before him, screaming, "Tornado!"

Infinity Wizard laughed as he saw the approaching attack. He focused back to the Morphing Grid with his ring. It turned green as he shouted, "Hurricane mode!"

As the tornado hit Hurricane Wizard, he took control of it before throwing it back to Mondo. Mondo was picked up by the wind and tossed about before ultimately slamming into a wall.

Meledon Ranger, seeing the attack, tried to make his way to the scene before Mondo could retaliate, but found himself consumed by anger, unable to control himself. He tried accessing his Nathadian Magic to cure him, but found his ability to tap into Magic completely taken from him. He shouted in frustration, channeling the anger to take out a group of Rinshi approaching him.

"Let's get back to basics." Hurricane Wizard said. "Flame Wizard! Flame kick!"

He jumped into the air, performing the signature Rider Kick that all Masked Riders were known for. As he was to land the fatal blow to Mondo, Mondo cast an Escape spell, teleporting behind Flame Rider.

"Bolt 3!" Mondo shouted. The attack permeated throughout the entirety of Flame Wizard's armor. Sparks exploded from his armor as he fell to the ground.

He sneered behind his visor. "Is that the best you have, Mondo? Hehe... Time to show you a _real_ bolt. Dragon Style! Flame Dragon!"

Flame Wizard's coat became red as he assumed his Dragon Style Flame Mode. He then channeled his mind into his vast knowledge of Magic. "This is a _real_ bolt spell. Thundaga!"

Mondo saw several large bolts of lightning fall from the ground. They slammed hard into the dark Wizard, sending him to the ground in pain.

Flame Wizard: Dragon Style pointed to Mondo solemnly. "Beware the power of the Royal Morpher."

He then turned to Meledon Ranger and pointed at him. "Heal."

A white/green mist surrounded Meledon, taking away his Berserk status. Covered in sweat and exhausted from the rage that caused him to run around in a frenzy, he fell to his knees. He tried as hard as he could to catch his breath as he felt his Magic stores become accessible to him once again.

As Wizard walked over to examine Mondo, a blast of power hit him in the back. He fell to the ground in tremendous pain. He turned around to see the Wizard of Deception, pointing his wand at him and laughing.

"You fools were much too easy to take down. Just let you take each other out! Haha!" Deception said, laughing.

As he made his way to Masked Rider Wizard, the Wizard was doubled over in pain. He didn't know the pain he was feeling was due to Zocato power attacking his heavily Magic based powers, infecting them like a virus. He was becoming a living testimony to what the Tribunal of Magic had predicted would happen.

As the Wizard of Deception was to make his final blow to the Masked Rider, a torrent of dirt and sand showered down on him. It moved so quickly it began cutting what little skin he had on his face. As he got his bearings in the middle of the sudden sandstorm, he teleported a short distance away, to protect himself.

As Meledon, Masked Rider, and the Wizard of Deception looked up, they saw six winged beings descend to the Earth. Upon looking at them, Meledon Ranger could not believe his eyes.

"Marvelous!?" Meledon shouted. He forced himself up and walked to the six man team as the ship carrying Delu and the Sorcerer of the Sands landed close by.

Marvelous looked at Meledon Ranger. He laughed. "You're still around? I guess some things don't change!"

"Back away, Demon! Meledon conversion: iron!" Meledon Ranger cried out. He then swung his red saber at him.

The Sorcerer of the Sands cast a shield around Marvelous, protecting him from the attack as Marvelous flinched. "Zordon of Eltar. I have heard much about you. It is an honor."

As Masked Rider Wizard stood up to face the Wizard of Deception, Meledon pointed his blade at the Sorcerer of the Sands. "Who are you? Why are you protecting the Demons?"

He laughed. "They aren't Demons anymore. Show them."

Miha nodded. "Change card! Sky armor!"

Suddenly, the six Gaia Rangers stood before Meledon Ranger. Because of his natural tap to White Energy, he could feel it emanating from them with great force. They felt to be the exact opposite of what a Demon was.

"But, how?" Meledon inquired, scanning them. The unfamiliar term of "Ethereal" popped into his mind.

Gaia Blue placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll explain later. Right now, I think your army needs our help."

Gaia Red laughed. "Alright, guys... Let's make this showy..." Swinging his arm around to warm up, he rushed headfirst into battle.

Gaia Pink frowned. Only moments earlier, he had been lying in a coma. "You heard him. Let's go."

Gaia Black fist pumped. "Oh, yeah! Back in action! We're going to do this enthusiastically!"

As the Gaia Rangers began to swarm the enemies, Masked Rider was able to dodge another Zocato blast from the Wizard of Deception. He had been able to replenish enough energy to get out of harm's way, thanks to the time allotted him by the Sorcerer of the Sands.

"Time for you to go home packing... Infinity Ring! Magic Mode! Dragon Style!" Infinity Dragon Wizard emerged from the ring transformation.

"Hmph." The Wizard of Deception said. Pointing his wand, he shot several volleys of Zocato power at him. The auto-Haste spell Infinity Dragon Style gave Masked Rider Wizard so much speed, however, none of them came close to connecting.

"Dragon Rush!" Infinity Dragon cried out. With unbelievable speed, he rushed down and slammed into the Wizard of Deception. His Magic seeped into Deception's being, causing him much pain.

"Until... next time..." Deception warned. As he lay on the ground in pain, he waved his wand and teleported back to the Ghost of Darkness.

Going to Land Dragon mode, Wizard Rider joined Meledon Ranger and the Sorcerer of the Sands as they were fighting Mondo the Wizard.

"Sand Bender?" Land Dragon Wizard asked the Sorcerer of the Sands.

"And proud of it!" The Sorcerer cried out, using a sand wall to block a Fire 6 spell. The wall Magically became one not of sand at that hit, but of glass.

Land Dragon laughed as he got an idea. He saw Meledon Ranger slam his blade to the ground, sending a vertical Blade Beam attack to Mondo. "How about we give Mondo a sandstorm he'll never forget?"

Smiling, the Sorcerer walked around the glass wall and pointed at Mondo, who was distracted by Meledon Ranger. Taking his side next to him, Land Dragon did the same.

"Power of the Land!" They cried out simultaneously.

Meledon Ranger turned and saw a giant wave of dirt and sand, like a liquid tidal wave, begin to descend toward them. As he did, Gaia Yellow appeared, doing battle with Mondo. She leapt up and kicked Mondo in the face.

Gaia Yellow turned quickly to Meledon and shouted, "You need to get out of here! I'm land based, so I'll be okay!"

Meledon then focused with all his might and cried out, "Meledon Conversion: Sand!"

Following the instinct given to him by his Nathadian Magic, his suit become covered in sand. Upon closer inspection, Meledon Ranger saw that his whole body had actually _become_ sand. With a running start, he leapt into the sand wave, assimilating himself into it. As he was in it, he charged it with his White Energy, Tiger Spirit, and Nathadian Magic. Once he was done, he jumped out of the wave on the other side, landing next to Masked Rider Land Dragon Wizard and the Sorcerer of the Sands.

Monod swung at the Yellow Ranger, hitting her hard on the chest. Sparks flew as she fell to the ground. She then started laughing as they were enveloped in the shadow of the attack. "Land Strike!"

She shot a beam into the tidal wave. Her land powers combined with the tidal wave, creating a small hole. She leapt through it as it closed.

Mondo stopped and stared. "Well, that's just not fair."

The heaps of dirt collapsed over him. The Sorcerer of the Sands laughed, turning to Masked Rider and the others and said, "I can feel him: he lives but is unconscious. I'll dig him out. Please: go help the others."

Nodding, Masked Rider Wizard reverted to his Dragon Flame Mode and rushed over to the Gaia Red Ranger, who was taking out a legion of Rinshi. Meledon Ranger joined them.

"Ready?" Gaia Red asked.

They all nodded. Both he and Wizard Rider shouted out, "Spirit of the Dragon!" as Meledon shouted out, "Spirit of the Tiger!"

Their Spirit Animals erupted from them, surrounded by Red Morphing Energy. A cloud of Red Morphing Energy exhaust exploded behind the trio as the Rinshi met the attack head on. They exploded almost instantly.

Going their separate ways, Masked Rider noticed the Blue Aquitar Ranger fighting Zydos with vigor. He ran over, turning into Water Dragon Wizard by focusing on his Power Ring.

"Water Torrent!" Water Wizard shouted. The intense blast projected from him, sailing toward Zydos.

The Blue Aquitar Ranger focused on the torrent, adding more moisture from the air. Water Wizard landed next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

As Zydos turned to flee from the attack, he found himself face to face with the Blue Gaia Ranger. He had his arms folded across his chest. He then shook his head and shoved Zydos into the almost spear-like projection that was the water attack.

Gaia Blue then pointed his Shark Bow Gun at Zydos and pummelled him with water blasts as he was hit from behind with the water spear. He collapsed to the ground, semi-conscious.

"I'll take care of him. You guys go help the others." Gaia Blue said, waving them off casually.

Spotting Gaia Black and Gaia Green battling some Hidiacs, and wanting to stay in the theme he had given himself to match the outfits of those he was helping, went into hisHurricane Dragon Rider form.

"Snake Axe!" Gaia Black shouted, slamming into the ground. A crack in the ground emanated from him, adding to the already massacred landscape that was caused by Mondo's Quake 5 attack earlier.

"Dolphin Grenade Launcher!" Gaia Green added, shooting several green water orbs into the chasm. Within moments, several geyser streams shot out of the chasm.

Gaia Black turned to Gaia Green. "Uh, Doc... What was _that_ supposed to do?"

"I don't know..." Gaia Green said as he tried to smooth out his suit. "It seemed like a good idea, though. I was trying to get the water that was under the ground to come up and attack those freaks."

"Hurricane Blast!" Hurricane Dragon Wizard shouted. He channeled his powers and caused the winds to pick up above the geyser streams. Within moments, a hurricane formed from the water and air mixture.

Gaia Black threw his arms into the air as Hurricane Wizard landed next to Gaia Green. "Woo-hoo! All we need now is Joe to come over here and we can make a sharknado!"

Gaia Green turned to him, scratching his helmet in confusion. "But... it's a hurricane... not a tornado..."

As the Hidiacs began to succumb to the hurricane that was attacking them, Hurricane Wizard began to run to the aid of the Ninja Storm Pink Ranger, who was being assisted by Gaia Pink. They were battling against Gara.

"Phoenix Blast!" Gaia Pink shouted.

"Power of Light!" Screamed the Ninja Rangers.

Hurricane Ranger, running as fast as he could, yelled out, "Flame Mode! Dragon Style! ALL DRAGON SPECIAL RUSH!"

Flames erupted around Special Flame Dragon. Wings sprouted from his back. Accompanying the wings, Special Flame Dragon received a tail, massive claws mounted on his wrists, and a dragon head on his chest. With magnificient speed, he jumped into the air.

He flew to the blast that had projected from the two pink rangers. He channeled his most advanced fire spell into the blast by yelling, "Firaga!"

Special Flame Dragon did a backflip away from the attack, zooming down and landing in between Gaia Pink and Ninja Storm Pink. They watched as the attack pummelled Gara to the dirt, forcing her to "demorph" from her armor. She lay on the ground, unconscious.

Ninja Pink laughed. "How much did you have to hold back to not destroy her?"

Gaia Pink walked past Special Flame Dragon and placed an arm on the ninja's shoulder. "Maybe just a little.." Then, turning to Special Flame Dragon, she gave him a thumbs up. "Thanks!"

He bowed. "My pleasure." He then heard some grunting from a ways away. He jumped into the air, flying toward the sound of battle. Looking down, he saw the White Aquitar Ranger battling alongside Robo Knight against King Mondo.

Special Flame Dragon narrowed his eyes behind his visor. "An Aquitian and a robot against another robot? This is one weird battle..."

As he landed behind the two Power Rangers, he turned into his Infinity Wizard mode. Then, charging an attack, he yelled to the rangers. "Duck! Blizzaga!"

Robo Knight, with blinding speed, streaked out of the way, but seemed to not move at all. The White Ranger turned into a flash of white light and streaked away, herself.

King Mondo met the attack head on. Icicles formed around him, freezing him momentarily. He then began to glow red, melting the ice that formed around him.

"Attack!" Aquitar White screamed. She leapt down and, pulling out her blade, swung mightily at the machine king. As he blocked her, several lasers streamed out from Robo Knight's gun, hitting Mondo. He rolled to the ground.

As he attempted to stand, Infinity Wizard pointing a hand at him. "Wizard Infinity Dragon: Gold Mode!"

Infinity Dragon erupted from a surge of Silver Morphing Energy. A giant tail surged out from the Masked Rider's spine. Wings, a dragon head on his chest, and claws appeared as well. He swooped down after flying into the air. As he landed upon King Mondo, he began swinging his fists, landing blow after blow on the machine.

Suddenly, sparks flew from Infinity Dragon's back. Being blasted off of King Mondo, he was helped up by Robo Knight and the White Aquitar Ranger. The trio looked on as they saw another machine run up and help King Mondo up.

"Are you okay, your heinous?" Klank asked, another machine that had come with Mondo the Wizard's ship. He held a small robot in his hands whose name was Orbus.

"Get us out of here! NOW!" King Mondo demanded. Within moments, Orbus activated and teleported the machines out to Mondo the Wizard's ship in space.

Powering down to his Flame Mode, Masked Rider Wizard looked to the Aquitian and machine who fought beside him. "We need to get back to the others and finish cleaning up this mess."

As the trio ran back to see what help they could provide, about a half mile away, Goldar grunted as he kicked the Bio Mech Green Ranger away while swinging his sword and slashing the Red Bio Mech Ranger. Sparks erupted from his suit. Although he tried hard, Goldar was still brought down to the ground as he fought, being kicked in the back by the Bio Mech Yellow Ranger.

"Stay down if you know what's good for you, monkey." The Yellow Ranger advised.

Goldar quickly rolled onto his back and sneered at her. "You haven't seen the last of me!" He then gripped his sword, and awkwardly dug it into the ground as he lay on his back. Flames erupted around him as he teleported a short distance away.

"Let's go find Master Deviot." Bio Blue said. The other four rangers nodded and followed him. After running for a few yards, they saw Deviot finishing the placement of the detonator at the spot he had found to match his computer's equations.

"Is it ready?" Bio Red asked.

"Yes. Watch." Deviot said. He handed them his hand device. His ship's cameras in space were pointed at a spot somewhere in what was called on Earth "the Atlantic Ocean". They watched the camera's feed as Deviot pushed the button on the detonator.

The detonator, shooting a laser to the sky, caused three other detonators around the planet to shoot similar lasers out into the sky. As the four lasers met, the collision point caused the four lasers to ricochet down, together as one mega laser, right to the spot the computer had calculated: the great city of Atlantis.

The Bio Mech Rangers watched as the stealth shield around the city deteriorated. The city of Atlantis was then visible for the entire world to see.

Deviot, laughing, pointed at the city on the screen. "The key to the Corona Auroraa lies in that city. Your next mission is to go and find that key."

Saluting, the Bio Mech Rangers yelled out, "Yes, master!"

Bio Mech Red downloaded the coordinates into his helmet. Looking at his teammates, he nodded. "Follow my lead." The five evil cyborg rangers then teleported to Atlantis.

As they did, with Deviot laughing, Goldar jumped over a boulder and kicked Deviot in the back. Deviot fell to the ground, yelling out in confusion and frustration.

"What are you doing!?"

"Proving that no one can get away with fighting the almighty Goldar!"

"What!? Just... leave me alone! I don't have time for this!" Deviot complained. He pushed a button on his hand device and teleported up to his ship.

Goldar laughed. "Yes! Run away! Ah-hahaha!" He then plunged the blade of his sword into the ground, teleporting back to the Moon Palace.

Appearing in the Moon Palace, Goldar couldn't find anyone. Hearing someone speaking, he turned a corner and found Rita looking into her telescope, mumbling to herself.

"Hmph. Stupid Zordon. He and his stupid friends are ruining _everything_. I'll have to look somewhere else... I _need_ Dragonzord to defeat Zedd."

Goldar sneered in anger. He quickly turned around and made his way to Lord Zedd's chambers. Without knocking, he burst into the room.

"Lord Zedd, I-"

"Quiet! How dare you interrupt me!" Zedd demanded.

The hologram of Dark Specter growled. "Do all of your generals treat you with such disrespect?"

Zedd summoned his Z Staff. "I will make an example of him, Dark Specter."

"No! Please! I'm sorry! I just have important news!" Goldar pleaded.

"Meet my wrath, fool!" Zedd screamed as he pointed his staff.

"It's about Rita!" Goldar shrieked.

"Wait!" Dark Specter ordered. "I want to hear this. Speak."

Goldar dropped to a knee, bowing before Dark Specter and Lord Zedd. "She wants to summon the Dragonzord to betray Lord Zedd!"

"What!? That twin horned she-devil! She will pay for betraying me! I will destroy her!"

Dark Specter laughed. "Calm down, Zedd. Sometimes, it is good to have traitorous people in your ranks. They will work hard to make you believe they are on your side, while they plan their betrayal. That's when you give them more work than they can handle, so they will be so occupied in keeping their cover and not have time to finish their plans. And, best case scenario, if they are really good they will accomplish all of the tasks you give them, freeing up your army to do what you need them to do."

Zedd bowed before Dark Specter. "And that is why you are the most ingenious evil in the universe. I will do what you have suggested."

"And remember: The day may come where she gets close to betraying you. Ensure that you get rid of her before that day comes."

"Yes, Dark Specter." Lord Zedd said.

"Hmmm... You know... If Rita is as good as the reports I received of her when she was able to break into the ranks of the Morphing Masters... You may need some extra help spying on her. Stay put. I will send one of my generals to help you momentarily. Make sure no one else knows about this general." Dark Specter said as he ended his transmission.

"Who do you think Dark Specter will send?" Goldar asked.

"How should I know, you gold buffoon!? You made me look weak in front of Dark Specter! If you try anything like that again, I will rip your-"

Suddenly, a vortex appeared in the room. Coming out of it, Darkonda laughed. "Hello, Zedd."

"Oh, no..." Goldar muttered, turning around and rushing out of the room.

"Hello, _Darkonda_. How are things on the Dark Wave? Oh, wait... I forgot. It was _destroyed_." Lord Zedd remarked, taking a jab at Darkonda. During a battle many years prior, Darkonda had lost his prized ship as it was destroyed by the Resistance.

Darkonda sneered. "Even destroyed, the Dark Wave is doing better than your hierarchy, I hear. That's why I was sent, was it not?"

"Just do what Dark Specter told you to and stay out of my way!" Lord Zedd said, storming out of the room. He shouldered Darkonda as he walked out.

After a few moments, Zedd rushed back in. "Wait. This is _my_ room. _You_ get out! NOW!"

"Oh, why yes, _Lord_ Zedd. Hehehe..." Darkonda said, slinking into the shadows of the hallway. He wanted to ensure that only Goldar and Zedd knew he was on the Moon Palace.

Goldar, upset that Darkonda was in what he thought of for some reason as _his_ palace, made his way to Rita.

"What do you want?" Rita sneered, turning from the telescope briefly as she heard Goldar approach. She turned back to what she was doing, not caring if he answered.

"I just got back from defeating the mighty Deviot!" Goldar said. He let the statement hang in the air, awaiting a congratulations.

"Well... Get back down there and defeat _someone important_! Deviot has nothing to do with Zordon, and _that's_ who I want GONE!" Rita snapped.

Goldar growled as he turned around. He muttered to himself as he went to his chambers, ignoring Rita's order. He glared at Darkonda as he laughed at Goldar from the shadows.

Unbeknownst to those on the Moon, a few hundred miles away, Deviot's ship orbited around the Earth. In the ship, Deviot unhooked Bio Mech Silver from his machine.

"There. You're charged."

Coming back online, Bio Mech Silver looked at Deviot. Then he looked around. "We're no longer on Bansheera's ship. Where are we?"

"On assignment. The _Queen_ wants us to prep the Earth for her arrival. She tracked a group of Power Rangers who she fears to that planet, so I'm here to defeat Zordon before she arrives." Deviot explained, as he began to ready the next strike against Earth.

"Is that where the other Bio Mech Rangers are?" Bio Silver asked.

Deviot chuckled. "No... They are on a special assignment for me. My personal hobby."

Silver laughed. "Ah. The Corona Aurora."

"Hehehe... Yes. _But_ , we don't need to focus on that right now. Your fellow Rangers are working on that. _We_ have something else to work on."

"Me? I'm still initializing." Silver said.

Deviot nodded. "I know, I know... But I need your help in activating the new guy."

Silver dropped down from the table he had been sitting on. "Fantastic, Deviot. I've been waiting for this since you gathered his corpse. I can't wait to see the look on their faces."

"Well, wait no more. Let's activate him!"

. . .

Jak-Am, Cass-Mer, and Tob-Zu looked at the landscape. It was a beachline, edging the border of a forest. It was a _very_ different environment than the one of their native planet, Krypton.

"Okay. This is the last place where we had a signal from the Five Fingers of Poison. Stay alert." Jak-Am said.

Tob-Zu looked around, worried. "I don't know about this place..."

"Do you feel it, though?" Cass-Mer asked the two boys, a smile spreading across her face.

They both stopped. Jak-Am looked at her with concern. "What!?"

She slowly began to float up off the ground. "The photonucleic affect! The powers we are receiving from the yellow sun here!"

Without any provocation, Tob-Zu leapt up into the air. His teammates stared at him in disbelief. He was usually very reserved, so his eagerness to be the one to impulsively fly around first was a shock to Jak-Am and Cass-Mer.

"Tob! Get down!" Jak-Am shouted.

"What was that!?" A voice said.

"Down there!" Another replied.

"Look up there!" A third voice screamed.

Tob-Zu shot down as fast as he could. Unable to control his descent, he slammed into the ground hard. He had flown down so quickly and landed with such force, that had he not been nearly invincible due to the power of the yellow sun, he would have surely broken his neck and probably passed away.

"Are you okay!?" Cass-Mer screamed, running to Tob-Zu as Jak-Am followed.

Looking up, waiting for his vision to return to normal, Tob-Zu smiled. "Fantastic!" For the first time in his life, he felt truly free. Especially with the tough life he lived on Krypton, trying to fit in and do what his father wanted him to do, the feelings he had as he zipped through the sky was something he would never forget, and something he wished to repeat soon.

"Well, guess what? You gave away our location." Jak-Am said, pursing his lips. Before he could rebuke Tob-Zu further, the three voices made themselves known as they came out from the woods.

Osiris laughed. "Kids! They're Human kids!"

"Should we eliminate them?" Badrat asked.

Chuckling, Unidoom shook his head. "Shoot first, ask questions later? C'mon, Badrat. You're better than that! Hey, kiddies. What are you doing here."

The three stared back, frozen in place with fear. The first to broke out of their trance was Cass-Mer. The first thing she said, though, was probably not the best to have said.

"Guys... I recognize them from my history classes... They're the Phantom Beast Warriors!" She exclaimed.

Narrowing his eyes, Jak-Am nodded. "You're right... But how did they escape the Phantom Zone!?"

Unidoom scowled. "On second thought, you may have been right, Badrat..."

"Destroy the Kryptonian scum!" Osiris exclaimed.

As the Monsters rushed toward them, Jak-Am stepped forward courageously. He gripped his Falcon Animal Crystal tight. He looked calm suddenly. His calm stature helped alleviate his teammate's troubled minds.

As they nodded, Jak-Am yelled out, "Call of the Animal Spirit!"

. . .

Zordon, after having powered down, frowned as he looked around. The devastation caused during the attack was massive. The landscape was scarred badly.

"Ay-yi-yi! This is awful!" Alpha 4 declared. "So much damage!"

Zordon nodded darkly. "It's a shame. However... I thank you and Kamen for coming down to help. Things would have been much worse without him."

"Prince Kamen? That wasn't Prince Kamen!" Alpha 4 said.

"What? Then who was it?" Zordon inquired.

As Alpha was to answer, a black light descended into the middle of the scene. Everyone stopped and stared, curious to know what it was.

The Order of the Claw masters quickly moved the unconscious Gara, Zydos, and Mondo off to the side. As they did, Mao and Rilla turned back to see what was happening.

A figure stood where the light had landed. Zordon deduced it was a teleportation. As he looked closer, he saw it was a man.

"I am Zordon of Eltar, leader of the Resistance." Zordon shouted, making his way down from the side of the mountain he had been on, helping to assess the damage. Alpha 4 followed quietly behind him. "State your purpose.

As the man lifted up his head, Zordon stopped in shock. The man smiled. "I know who you are, _Zordon_. You're the man who caused my destruction. Well guess what? I'm back for revenge..."

Zordon stared at him, wide eyed. From the other side of the field, Trinity couldn't believe what was happening. "That's not possible! I thought you said he was-"

Robo Knight nodded. "He was. I saw it myself."

"What, Zordon? You look like you've seen a ghost..." The man laughed.

"Burai!?" Zordon managed to say. The moment was too surreal for him.

"Time for you to face the consequences for your mistakes! You know I should have been a Morphing Master instead of you! You know I shouldn't have been stationed out at Tarmac 3 alone! It's your fault!" Burai screamed. A look of fury emanated from his face. Zordon could sense with his Nathadian Magic that Burai's familiar Green Energy was no longer permeating him, but Red Energy.

"Burai... Please... I'm very happy to see you here, but you need to calm down."

"You try calming down if someone who treated you like slime the whole time we were 'friends' ends up leading you to the slaughter! Zordon, you are a grade-A snob! A jerk! I remember every single time you spoke down to me!" Burai shouted, a tear streaming down his face.

Zordon shook his head. "That was a long time ago. I was a different man then. I'm not _like_ that anymore!"

"I'm not falling for that! And now... I have the power to make you suffer." Burai said. He then focused on his new inner power. "Bio Power! Black!"

A black armor almost instantly appeared on his person. Laughing a sinister dark laughter as everyone stared at his, the Power Ranger got into a fighting stance. "Bio Mech Black Ranger. Hi-yah!"


	25. Part 0-Chapter 13: The Crown of the Gods

**Chapter Thirteen: The Crown of the Gods**

Tidus stared at Auron in shock. "Did you just say... _Zombie_!? I mean... Are you going to eat me?"

Auron couldn't help but allow a hearty laugh escape from his throat as he half carried Tidus down the war scarred city streets. He shook his head. "No, no, no. Haha... I don't share the same weakness my 'offspring' have. I don't need to eat at all. I don't have that desire."

Tidus frowned. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why should I have?" Auron rebuttaled.

"Because... well..." Tidus started. He wanted to say it was because they were family as Morphing Masters, but couldn't bring himself to say that. "Because we're part of a team, that's why. We're the Morphing Masters."

"We're a part of a group Lothor made, most likely to just suck us dry of our powers. So I should tell you my deepest, darkest secrets then?" Auron said as they approached Zen Aku's building.

"The Morphing Masters are what we make them out to be..." Tidus replied. "And I thought that we were more than just some guys in a group. I thought we were real friends."

Auron chuckled. "You really do remind me of a man I once knew. You're not as loud as he was, but you certainly are as stubborn."

Tidus coughed a little, trying to take some of his weight off of Auron so he could walk on his own. "Thanks?"

As they walked through the front door of Zen Aku's building, Auron sighed. "I'm actually more than just the Alpha Zombie. I was originally the Alpha Ghost."

"Wait... what!?"

"Listen, please. You wanted an explanation, so here it is. I was a member of a team of people trying to hunt down a most wicked creature. She was the mother of all Monsters. One thing led to another and my team was slaughtered by her and her 'children'. Instead of destroying me, though, she infected me with some sort of virus. Before me, anyone who died would go straight to the Afterlife. Since my infection, I've seen the process time and time again. A person would lose their life, and some sort of otherworldly white portal would appear, taking the person's Spirit to another plane of existence.

"After my infection, however, things changed. People weren't automatically being sucked in by the White Light. They could choose to wander and not go in. Somehow, when that horrible woman infected me, and afterward caused me to be a Ghost, I had infected the entire 'network' of the Afterlife. What was once automatic was now by choice. I realized later on that Ghosts were what she needed to create her next abomination: Demons. After I had infected the system, she was able to create more Pseudo-Ghosts, or Demons, who were able to transition from a ghostly Spirit form to a physical form.

"To get my revenge… to make sure I corrected what I helped bring to pass, as a Ghost I found my body once again and possessed it. Since I wasn't a Demon, not having absorbed the putrid energies of the universe, I was what people who had once known me called a Zombie. I lost everything that I once loved." Auron ended, looking away.

Tidus stared at him, slightly in awe and slightly in terror. For all intents and purposes, he was in the company of a Monster. But for Tidus, it didn't matter. Not in the end of it all. He had come to know Auron fairly well, in his opinion, after serving with him for the past few months as a Morphing Master. He could feel that he wasn't a bad person. "I'm very sorry, Auron. That sounds awful…"

"Don't be. I'm nearing the end of my quest. The end of my revenge. I have already banished the fiend who did this to me. All I have left is to destroy my brother Alphas and I will be able to finally rest. I just took one off of my list out there. Dracula was a tough cookie. I got lucky." Auron stated.

"So, you _can_ go to the Afterlife?" Tidus asked.

Auron smirked. "I haven't gotten all the kinks out of my plan yet. I'm speaking of best case scenarios at the moment. Optimism and whatnot. Now, Tidus. You stay here. I'm going to head into the good doctor's lab and see if I can get him to help you out with your injuries."

Leaving the young boy in the small foyer, Auron pushed open the swinging doors into the lab. He was shocked to see Lokar yelling at Zen Aku.

"Down! I command you to stop!" Lokar screamed.

Zen Aku howled in pain. "I… I _want_ to obey you, but… the _hunger_! It's so powerful!"

Auron lifted up his sunglasses. He didn't like to see the world in that way, the way that he felt he was cursed with after becoming an Alpha, but at times it was useful. One of the things that came along in his package of "tools" he received to become an Alpha was the ability to see things past the spectrum the living could see. Scanning Zen Aku, he could see the virus of the Werewolf pumping through his blood.

Auron knew that many a monster had several allergies, being weaker than their parent Alphas. Their diseases were imperfect clones of what cursed the Alphas into being what they were. The infections that spread through an Alphas offspring were mutations, attempting to mutate an entire body to be like the Alpha who infected the body, but without the Mother of Monsters' "abilities", the process was imperfect and thus created weaker versions of the Alpha. Werewolves happened to share a similar allergy as many other Monsters: silver.

Pulling out a silver stake, Auron frowned. "I am very sorry, fellow Morphing Master. I must end your suffering here and now."

Seeing Auron ready to attack, Lokar sneered. Although he was grateful to have someone around to help him pacify Zen Aku, he still needed the scientist for his mind. He didn't want him destroyed yet. "Auron… Back away. I can handle this."

Putting his enchanted sunglasses back on, Auron shook his head. "No, you can't. Step aside. I want to end his torment quickly."

Lokar then looked at Zen Aku. He pointed at Auron. "Attack _him_ then. If you are dead set on feeding, use him to satiate your appetite."

Zen Aku turned to Auron, saliva dripping down his mouth and getting caught in his beard. "Yes, Lokar…"

Auron cocked an eyebrow. "Well… I can say I definitely did not see that coming…"

Zen Aku lunged forward, leaping over two table simultaneously. He ignored the pain in his fingers as his fingernails were pushed off his body, making way for his claws to project from under his skin. His old nails fell to the ground in a mixture of dead flesh and blood.

As Auron jumped up, he lifted the silver stake above his head, ready to drive it into Zen Aku's heart. As he descended toward his target, Lokar channeled his energy. Before Auron could react, Lokar shot a blast of concentrated air from his lungs, directly at his hands. The silver stake flew out of his hands. It hit a wall and clattered onto the floor as it slid under a table.

Unarmed, Auron had nothing to attack the Werewolf with as he landed on Zen Aku. With his improved strength, Zen Aku batted Auron away. He slammed into a wall and fell to the ground. Gathering himself and shaking his head, Auron stood and stared as Lokar stood behind Zen Aku, playing the role of puppet master to his infected puppet.

"I could use some help about now…" Auron said under his breath.

Unfortunately for him, Zen Aku had made his laboratory sound proof. Tidus sat casually out in the foyer, unaware of anything that had been occurring to Auron. He just sat, trying to ignore the pain he was feeling in his body as he awaited Auron to return with medication.

As he waited, he heard whispers coming from outside. Seeing that Auron had left the door slightly ajar, Tidus limped carefully to the front door to listen.

"-ur sure that's the right planet, Love?" Tidus overheard Killian ask.

Regina laughed. "Oh, I'm sure. I double checked. There is absolutely no way I would let a small detail like that get in my way of getting the Crystal of Doom back."

"Well, then, we'd better hurry. We don't want Lothor getting tipped off before we can get the crystal ourselves." Killian said as he and Regina walked away.

Tidus gritted his teeth. The chance meeting outside Zen Aku's building was all he needed to hear. The integrity of the Morphing Masters was falling apart, and Tidus didn't want to have those with evil intent using the powers of anything as wickedly named as the "Crystal of Doom". He wished to go speak with Auron about it, but could not find the strength to stand.

As Regina and Killian made their way to an elevator, they heard an explosion to their left. Looking over, they saw Zurgane fall to the ground. He quickly reached for his fallen sword and pulled himself back up. "I… Will not… Allow you access!"

Sculpin laughed. "As you can see, you are no match for us. We are the Ten Terrors. We won't stop until we have the Greatest Treasure in the Universe."

Itassis nodded. "You should give up now. You have no way of defeating us. We are too powerful."

"I may fall, but I will fall with my honor and loyalty!" Zurgane cried out, pointing his blade at the ten powerful, brainwashed Wizards.

"Shouldn't we help him?" Killian asked, feeling sorry for him.

Regina laughed. "He filled out his deathwish the minute he signed up with Lothor. Let us go: we don't have time to waste here. Don't worry… Lothor won't allow Dai Shi and Octomus' lackeys anywhere near the Greatest Treasure. We'll be fine."

While they walked into the tower to the elevator leading to Regina's spaceship in the Hangar Bay, Oculous grunted. "When are we going to rid ourselves of this piece of garbage? We have a mission to accomplish."

At that moment, Lothor frowned from the tower wall he was on. He turned to Ivicar and then smiled. "Let's say we give Zurgane here a little hand?"

Ivicar watched in fascination as Lothor conjured up a blob of purple ooze. It floated in the air above his palm. Ivicar frowned as it made a sickening noise while it rotated about.

"What is it?" Ivicar asked.

"It's a little bit of special ooze. Watch…" Lothor said. With his "free" hand, he directed a bit of it to break off and fly down beside Zurgane. With sickening sounds, arms and legs began to sprout from the ooze until they formed several Oozemen.

Matoombo sneered. "They're disgusting."

Zurgane, looking around, got into a fighting stance. "Thank you, Lothor… Now, where were we? Oh, yes. Ahhh!" Zurgane then ran forward, blade pointed at the Ten Terrors as the Oozemen followed behind him.

Meanwhile, back in Zen Aku's laboratory, Tidus grimaced in pain. His head and ribs were aching badly. He was certain he had broken something. He then heard explosions and screams ringing out from outside the laboratory building. _Does this have something to do with what I heard Regina saying…?_ Not wanting to deal with the guilt he would have if he found out he could have stopped a disaster but didn't, Tidus reached down deep into himself and willed his body pass the swinging doors into Zen Aku's lab.

As Tidus entered, he saw Zen Aku pick up Auron and throw him across the room. Zen Aku screamed. "There's something wrong with him! He doesn't smell right! Argh!"

Tidus looked from Zen Aku to Auron and back again. He then sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Seriously? This day just gets better and better… Aero 3!"

A small windstorm began in front of Tidus. Before long, the mini tornado, standing at about five feet, swooped through the laboratory toward Zen Aku. Before it hit, however, Lokar let out his evil gusts of wind from the air that circulated through his lungs, having been concentrated with Lokar's power. The two bursts of wind met in front of Zen Aku before canceling each other out.

"Get away, Tidus! You'll get hurt!" Auron warned.

Lokar laughed as he pointed at Tidus. "Get out of here, kid. Let the big boys play."

As Auron used his Magic to summon his sword, Zen Aku jumped over several tables in a single bound, heading straight for the undead fighter. Auron swung his silver laced sword, slashing the Werewolf across the chest. Howling in anger, smoke dancing off the cut, Zen Aku did a backflip to get away from Auron.

"It burns!" He screamed in pain.

Tidus pointed his blade at Lokar as he summoned it himself. Although in pain, he put on a brave face. "I don't know what's going on, but I suggest you guys leave now while you still can."

"Or what? You'll cry to your mommy about me? Hahaha!" Lokar said, finding amusement from the threat coming from the young man.

Tidus sneered. "I actually would if I knew who she was. Ahhh!" Tidus screamed as he gathered his strength, jumping atop the table in front of him. Clearing his mind, Tidus then began an attack he had been trying to perfect with his friends before having been inducted into the Morphing Masters.

"Blitz Ace…" Tidus said. Tapping into his Morphing Energy, he leapt forward, skipping over Zen Aku to go straight at Lokar. He slashed at him several times, only landing a couple of blows as Lokar blocked many of them with a Magical shield. Tidus then kicked his leg out, pushing off from Lokar's shoulder. Almost as if her were in slow motion, Tidus focused and summoned up a ball. It was a ball he kept in his room, a reminder of a game used to play with his street urchin friends called "Blitz Ace". Still midair, Tidus performed a backflip, kicking the ball and infusing it with much energy. It then sailed to Lokar, breaking through his shield and blasting him with power.

"Get me out of here!" Lokar demanded. Unable to break through Lokar's mind control, Zen Aku nodded. He grabbed Lokar from off the ground and jumped at a wall. His increased speed and strength caused him to rip through the wall. Outside, he howled up to the sky before leaping over the walls of the Great City, to get Lokar to safety.

Tidus landed on his feet. He stared at the Blitz Ball on the ground, still glowing with power. He was happy to see himself finally perform the move he had been trying for very long to execute. He then slowly allowed his sword to drop from his hand. Having exhausted his energies, he began to fall to the ground.

As he was to hit the floor headfirst, Auron caught him. Laughing, he placed him on a chair that hadn't been toppled during the battle. "Good job, kid. I'm impressed. Here, drink this."

Tidus felt a bottle touch his lips. He swallowed the bitter concoction within the bottle and frowned. "Yuck… What is that?"

"I found a store of healing potions while you were laying the beatdown on Zen Aku. I figured you would be needing it with how beat you were looking."

"Thanks… And Auron? I need your help."

"What is it, kid?" Auron asked.

"I overheard Regina and that weird pirate guy talking. They know where the Crystal of Doom is and they are trying to get to it to use it themselves." Tidus explained.

Auron frowned. "Well… That's not my business. I have other things to take care of. All of the Alphas are here still. I can feel them. I can't leave now that they are within my grasp."

Tidus nodded. He stood up and bent over, grabbing his sword. He then made his way to his Blitz Ball. "I understand. I don't want to get in your way."

Tidus then made his way through the hole Zen Aku had made. He had to squint at first as the sun hit his eyes. Looking around, seeing no one, he began to make his way to where Lothor kept all of the shuttles.

"Hey! Kid!" Auron yelled out after him.

"Yeah?" Tidus said, turning around.

"Do you even know where you're going?" Auron asked.

Tidus shook his head. "Nope. I'm hoping to track their shuttle using Lothor's guiding system."

"Do you know how to use it?"

Tidus shook his head again. "No. I'll learn, though."

Groaning, Auron made his way to Tidus. Without stopping, he kept walking toward the Hangar Bay. "Come on, then. We don't have a lot of time. They have a head start and you can't afford to lose any more time with trying to learn the navigational system."

"But, you—"

"I said 'come on'. Don't make me repeat myself." Auron said, almost to the building with the elevator leading to the underground facility.

Hiding a smile, Tidus nodded. "On my way!"

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Jor and Jakon stood side by side, having battled their way back into the Great City's walls. Blue Morphing Energy rotated around Jor and Red Morphing Energy rotated around Jakon. They then combined their powers, shooting them at Ifrit.

Ifrit placed his hands out in front of himself, trying to block the attack. The orb of power began pushing him back. Ifrit's feet were firmly planted in the sandy road within the city, and began to be pushed back by the force of the brother's power. Before long, his strength threshold was met and the Morphing Energy powered attack blew past Ifrit's shield, throwing him back. He slammed into the tower in which Lothor and Ivicar found themselves, having left Zurgane to fend for himself.

"That's gotta hurt, ladies and gentlemen!" Lothor said, unseen by anyone on the ground floor. He began to dance in delight at seeing the chaos ensuing. He was also happy, because he could feel that the Great City had gathered enough energy to begin the creation of the Power Eggs.

App ran forward, slashing at the large dog that the Alpha Skinwalker, Cujo, had turned himself into. App used a large pole with a bladed tip as his weapon. "Stand down, Monster!"

Cujo laughed an otherworldly, dark laugh. "You think you are powerful enough to take down an Alpha, little man?"

"Not alone he's not!" Trueheart said, materializing over Cujo from the air. His tap into the very elements had made him a valuable fighter, able to assimilate himself into the air and re-appear whenever he needed to. In his hand was a blade used for harvesting grains.

App watched as his distraction had worked. Unable to react, Trueheart swung his blade. It connected with the Skinwalker's neck. Before he could blink, the Skinwalker's body stood before him, headless.

Trueheart landed in between Cujo's headless body and App. With a look of solemn determination, he nodded at App. "If there is but one thing I have learned about Monsters it's this: dismemberment is the only way to destroy them for good."

As he finished that statement, Cujo's body fell to the earth. It erupted into a black flame as the culmination of his destruction. App and Trueheart then turned to run and help Jor and Jakon take on the mighty Alpha Djinn, Ifrit.

Lothor stared at the spot where Cujo had exploded in awe, turning to Ivicar. "Did you _see_ that!? They destroyed that beast, no problem! I mean… I felt such _power_ coming from him!"

Ivicar nodded, lost in thought. "Yes… I would've never guessed they could take down an Alpha…"

"Alpha? What's that mean?" Lothor asked, confused.

"How do you not know what an Alpha is? You seem to know everything about everything, what with your complex plan." Ivicar stated.

Lothor shrugged. "It happens." He didn't want to go too in depth on the real reason for his lack of knowledge with Ivicar. He didn't feel as if Ivicar was ready to know the truth about him yet.

Ifrit laughed as he peeled himself off the wall of the tower. "You can't defeat me. I am a mighty Wishmaster! Haha! But… If you stop now, I promise to grant you a real wish, free of charge."

App, running to the brothers' side along with Trueheart, scoffed. "You must be very worried, if you're trying to bargain."

"We're not stupid enough to fall for that trap!" Jor stated, pointing at the Djinn.

Jakon folded his arms across his chest. "No, wait… Let's hear him out…"

The three looked at him in confusion and simultaneously cried out, "What!?"

"I mean… It's not every day we get the pleasure of having our _wildest_ dreams come true. Jor, don't we still need to find a way to pay that orphanage that we have been helping?" Jakon entreated of his brother.

"Dude, no! You're crazy! Stop!" Jor cried out.

Jakon turned away from them. "I guess you guys don't see a good opportunity when it is right in front of your face…"

"I demand you stop with this foolishness!" Trueheart shouted.

Ifrit waved his hand, freezing the App, Trueheart, and Jor. He then smiled a wicked smile at Jakon. "You see, the rules of my Magic state that if someone has the sincere desire to ask a wish of me, I have the ability to block those wanting to stop him, so he can exercise his free will."

Jakon bowed at Ifrit. "Why thank you, Wishmaster." Jakon could hear Jor's muffled screams, even through the spell. He was doing all he could to stop his brother from making a mighty mistake.

Ifrit laughed. "Now, my child… What can I grant you as a wish?"

Jakon placed a hand to his chin, looking up to the sky, lost in thought. "What a difficult question… Let me see… Oh, I have it!"

Ifrit began rubbing his hands together. He could feel the mighty power emanating from the Morphing Master, and was extremely anxious to be able to feed on his powers. "Yes? What does your heart desire?"

From up on the tower, Lothor frowned. "Well, this is quite upsetting. I had such high hopes for that one."

Ivicar shrugged. "You used him for what you needed him. No use crying over spilled milk, master."

Lothor continued to frown. "Yes, but… he and his brother are special. It's… a shame really."

Jakon bowed again to Ifrit. "I thank you for your services. For my wish? I wish that there was no Magic in this city."

Ifrit frowned. "What!? No!"

Jor, App, and Trueheart were instantly freed. Lothor stared at Jakon, mouth agape.

Ivicar turned to Lothor. "How will that affect us, master?"

Lothor shook his head. "It won't. We don't use Magic here in this city. Magic stuff happens somewhere else. I'm just… wow. That was a shocker!"

Tapping into the Morphing Grid, Jor, Jakon, App, and Trueheart channeled their powers together. They then sent them sailing toward Ifrit. Before he could turn and run, the blast hit him. As Morphing Energy crackled over his body, he fell to the ground.

To shield their eyes from the explosion, the group turned away. Behind them, a roar of fire erupted from the destruction of the evil Djinn.

"Wow! That was amazing Jakon!" Jor said, hugging his brother. Jakon nodded and laughed as Jor hugged him.

"You had me worried there, Jakon." App said, punching him in the shoulder.

Jakon chuckled. "You have no need to worry about me. I know what I'm doing."

"Yeah, man! You really had me fooled!" Jor said, ending the embrace.

As they spoke, a spaceship shot out from the Hangar Bay doors just outside the city. App frowned. "That's my ship…"

Trueheart looked at him. "Who do you think would steal your ship, App?"

Turning around and heading to the elevator on that side of the city that led to the Hangar Bay, App shook his head. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out."

"We're coming with you!" Jor said, running forward.

"What?" Jakon asked incredulously.

Trueheart nodded. "There are too many odd things happening here. I cannot allow you to leave alone."

As Jor got to App, he turned to Jakon. "Yeah, man! C'mon!"

Frowning and rolling his eyes, Jakon threw his arms into the air. "Okay, fine!"

As the four teammates made their way to the Hangar Bay, up in the sky in the ship they "borrowed", Auron gasped for breath.

"Are you okay!? What happened!?" Tidus shouted as he piloted the ship.

Auron shook his head in confusion. "I don't know… It was as if suddenly my Magic had been drained of me. It felt awful."

"I didn't feel anything." Tidus replied.

"That's because you _choose_ when you use Magic. I am an Alpha. Everything about Alphas are channeled through Magic. Something happened back there… I don't know. It felt like some sort of Magical vacuum." Auron said, getting chills as he thought about the horror he had felt when he lost his connection to the Universal Magic Grid. He did not know it was due to the wish Jakon had granted to him, making the Great City a place where the Universal Magic Grid could not be used.

"Wow! Hey!" Tidus shouted, breaking Auron's thoughts. He looked out the window to see a ship flying pass them towards Earth. "Watch where you're going!"

Auron laughed. "That was technically _your_ fault, kid. You didn't turn on your navigation signal. That pilot didn't see you on his radar."

"… Well… He has _eyes_!" Tidus countered as they flew into space.

The ship that had blasted past the duo landed outside of Mesogog's complex. The five Dino Guardians walked out in a single file line. They saw they were to be greeted by Mesogog and Dracul as they began to approach the front doors.

Dracul breathed in heavily. He and Mesogog had been busy, trying to ensure all of their illegal activities had been hidden in secret compartments. They were not interested in returning to prison.

Geki looked at the two of them. He sighed heavily. "I better not be wasting my time here."

Mei laughed. "You really think Mesogog would lie about Lije of the Dawn being here? I mean… it makes sense. We haven't heard from her in a very long time…"

Boi shrugged. "I don't know. From what I have heard from the High Ones, the entire civilization of the Dawn are gone."

"That's what I was thinking, too." Geki replied. "If the Dawn were wiped out, that is most likely where Lije was to begin with."

Finally standing a few feet away from Mesogog and Dracul, the two Dinomen bowed. "It is an honor to have you all here, most high Dino Guardians."

"I'm sure it is…" Dan replied, giving a look to his fellow teammates.

Goushi snickered. "Okay, Mesogog. You said there was a report of you being put as slaves around here? Everything looks fine to me."

"Who are these people!?" Lije of the Dawn demanded, making her way out of the complex. She wore a pouty face, irritated that something had been occurring that she had not been made aware of.

"Oh, Miss Lije, you see, these are, uh…" Dracul began.

Geki's eyes almost popped out of his head. "Guys. Attack formations now. This is the real deal!"

They all nodded, whipping out their weapons. In Geki's hands rested his mighty sword; Mei carried with her a bow with arrows; Goushi had an axe and a shield; Dan was the wielder of two mighty lances; Boi tossed his daggers into the air, catching them and getting into a fighting stance.

"Dino Guardians… Prepare to fight!" Geki cried out.

Lije of the Dawn frowned. "What is this? Mesogog?"

Mesogog shrugged and backed away. "I… I have no clue… They just arrived here…"

Geki couldn't blame Mesogog for the lie. On the very likely chance the Dino Guardians could not defeat Lije, they knew that if Mesogog played innocent, who wouldn't be punished for their presence. "Lije of the Dawn, we are the Dino Guardians. If you leave now, we will not engage you in combat."

Lije laughed. It was an eerie sight for the seasoned warriors to see a little girl before them as their target. They started getting over their reservations rather quickly, however, when Lije began glowing an odd, purple color.

"Spread out!" Dan shouted. As they did, Lije began to float off the ground.

"Psychic." Lije said calmly. Waves of Purple Psychic Energy erupted from Lije. It hit the ground where the Dino Guardians had once stood, leaving a gaping hole.

"Animal Spirit: Brachiosaurus!" Goushi said. He swung his mighty axe, shooting a beam of Animal Spirit from the weapon toward his opponent.

"Animal Spirit: Pterosaur!" Mei shouted. She shot an arrow at Lije as her Animal Spirit infused itself into the arrow.

"Animal Spirit: Triceratops!" Screamed Dan, as lasers of Animal Spirit erupted from his lances.

"Animal Spirit: Velociraptor!" Boi said, invoking his Animal Spirit. It bonded with his daggers as he tossed them in with the other attacks.

"Animal Spirit: Tyrannosaurus!" Geki screamed, stabbing the ground with his sword. He sent a blast of power into the ground as it shot its way toward Lije.

Psychic Energy erupted around Lije. Her eyes began to glow purple as she stated, "Agility. Reflect. Psycho Boost. Psycho Cut."

Lije was suddenly floating around, dodging all of the attacks but Geki's. As that attack erupted from the ground, she did not see it coming, as Geki had planned. Her Reflect spell, however, shot the attack back at Geki. He swung his sword and barely cut it in half before it was to hit him. Before he or any of his teammates could react, however, the Psycho Cut attack flew through the air, blasting them all at least ten feet back.

"She's too strong!" Dan screamed.

"We can't give up! We need to protect the dinosaurs!" Mei said, trying to rally the team together.

Geki sneered as he dug his blade into the grass. As he pulled himself up while his teammates began to follow suit, the wind was howling, blowing through his hair. He could see Lije slowly yet deliberately floating toward the five fighters, laughing.

"We need to up the stakes, guys." Geki said, pulling out a small shield from his small backpack.

His teammates nodded, taking their places behind him. Boi and Mei were on opposite sides of Geki, placing their hands on his shoulders. Dan stood behind Boi, placing a hand on his shoulders as Goushi stood behind Mei. They began concentrating, sending their Animal Spirits through each other, as if they were a conduit to Geki.

Geki then focused, harnessing the energy into himself. He then opened his eyes, as Red Dino Energy erupted from them."Power of the Universal Dino Energy! Shield of Triumph: Activate!"

. . .

As Tidus looked down on the planet, he could see Regina shooting blasts at a massive, dragon-like beast. Killian was using a small blaster, connected to his own Morphing Energy, to shoot at some other humanoid fighters. Although Killian seemed to be having a difficult time, Regina seemed to be keeping up with the mighty dragon beast.

Auron scoffed. "Demons, my distant cousins… That big one right there… I can feel it. He's the Alpha."

Before Tidus could object, Auron opened a door in the ship and jumped out. As he flew down to the ground, he caused his sword to appear in his hand. Without meaning to, he wore a large smile on his face.

Beelzebub blocked a blast from the Witch, Regina, but then stopped. He frowned as he felt a familiar presence. "Auron…"

He instantly looked up and shot several volleys of Black Energy and Dark Magic at Auron. The Alpha Zombie swung his mighty blade, blocking each blast as he descended. Auron then pointed his blade at Beelzebub, ready to impale him.

With blinding speed for a creature his size, Beelzebub slipped out of the way. Auron landed where the Alpha Demon had once been, his sword stabbing the ground. Large cracks emanated from the contact point.

Regina stared in disbelief. "What!? How are you here!?" She recognized Auron as one of the Morphing Masters, but outside of that she knew very little about him.

"I flew." Auron stated simply, ripping his sword out of the ground and rushing forward to fight the Alpha Demon. Regina curled her lip and cast a Float spell on herself, before running forward in the air after Beelzebub and Auron.

Meanwhile, Tidus leapt out from his ship after he landed it. He found himself side by side with Killian.

"I don't know why you're here, but I'm grateful." Killian said. He pointed a blaster and then shot at Goresakubo.

Tidus swiped at Diabolico and Loki(D) as they attempted to attack him. He then kicked Loki(D) in the gut before landing a punch on Diabolico's head. He then began charging a Magic spell. "Firaga!"

Intense flames erupted from Tidus, flying around him before sailing at the two Demons. Loki(D) took his own attack before jumping in front of Diabolico, taking his damage as well.

Diabolico stared at him in shock. "You… you took that hit for me…"

Loki(D) nodded. "Anything… for… a brother…"

"I will take him out for you, then." Diabolico stated, rushing forward to attack Tidus.

As he saw Diabolico rushing forward, Tidus gripped the handle of his sword tightly. "Come get some, you ugly Demon."

Before Diabolico could get to him, however, Trueheart appeared from the winds, blocking the Demons' sweeps with his short blade. "I don't know why you are here, Tidus, but we are here to offer our services."

Tidus was taken aback. " _We_?"

Before Trueheart could reply, App appeared jumping through the air in his Samurai attire. "You fiends will all fall by my blade!" He screamed as he blocked Goresakubo's sword, right before it was going to land a deadly strike on Killian.

Killian, laying on the ground, breathed in relief. "You saved my skin there, mate."

Tidus then began running away, running pass Jor and Jakon.

"Where are you going!?" Jor asked as Tidus ran by.

"I need to find the Crystal of Doom! It's around here somewhere!" Tidus shouted back.

"Oh! That's what that giant dragon thing stole from Lothor!" Jor explained to Jakon, who had a confused look on his face.

"Well, then… Let's go help him." Jakon said.

The trio began combing the area, trying to find the artifact. As they did, Auron was tossed up and into the air by Beelzebub. He landed twenty yards away as Beelzebub set his sights on Regina.

"What do you want here, Witch?" Beelzebub demanded.

"What's rightfully mine. Give me the Crystal of Doom!" Regina shouted.

Beelzebub produced the Orb of Doom in his hands. "You mean this?"

Regina glared at it. "What have you done to it!? It's missing pieces!"

"I made it easier to hold. What do you care? You'll never see it again!" Beelzebub laughed. He then launched a massive fire ball of Black Energy at Regina.

She yelled loudly as she conjured up a shield around her of Nathadian Magic. It held until the attack dissipated.

Beelzebub stared at her. "I'm impressed… You must teach me!"

Regina laughed. "Never in a million years. Hi-yah!" She shot a bolt of Nathadian infused lightning at Beelzebub, hitting him square in the face. Beelzebub fell to the ground, dazed.

As Regina went to go strike Beelzebub again, the mighty Alpha Demon launched one of his arms at her, punching her in the face. She fell to her side, concussed.

While the two mighty fighters tried to find their bearings, Auron pulled himself up. As he looked over, he saw the Corona Aurora sitting in a river bed, caught in some branches. He slipped his sunglasses off momentarily, to see the energy it gave off. Something inside him said it was what Regina was looking for for.

As Auron stepped forward, reaching for it, Azazel swooped down from the air. Auron threw up his sword, blocking the three eyed scythe that Azazel swung at Auron. He sneered as Azazel landed behind him.

"I am Azazel, Lord of the Demons. Prepare to meet your doom." Azazel said simply.

"I'm Auron, the mighty Zombie. Prepare to get your tail whipped." Auron retorted, rushing forward to battle Azazel.

Tidus, Jakon, and Jor saw Auron and Azazel fighting. They rushed forward to help. As they did, Azazel charged up an attack and swung his mighty scythe, sending Demonic power through the air and causing the fighters to fly back.

"Distract him!" Auron ordered, turning around and rushing to secure the Corona Aurora.

Jor was the first to stand back up. "You got it, dude! Power of the Ninja!" Blue Morphing Energy combined with Jor's inner Ninja Spirit, creating a translucent blue armor around him. Jakon watched as Jor rushed Azazel with the electric armor around him. It was an awesome sight to behold, as anyone could see Jor beneath the see-through armor.

Jakon pulled himself up. "Power of the Ninja…" A similar, red colored armor made up of the same material as Jor's wrapped itself around Jakon. He flexed his digits as he looked down at his left hand, seeing both his natural hand and his armor at the same time. Smiling, he ran forward and began fighting Azazel as well.

Tidus crawled forward, the effects of the potion he took earlier beginning to wear off. It was no longer able to cure him of the damage he had been receiving since his last battle against Dracula. Seeing double, Tidus looked away from the ninja brothers to look for Auron.

"…Auron…? Auron!" Tidus cried out. Looking around a large rock, he saw Auron kneeling over the Corona Aurora. He could feel great power coming from the area.

With all his might, Tidus pulled himself up and limped to Auron. "What's happening?"

Auron frowned. "I thought I told you to cover me."

"Jor and Jakon have that taken care of. What are you doing? What is that in your hands?"

Suddenly, Beelzebub landed before them. "That is my brother's crown. Give it to me, now!"

Auron shook his head. "You have no idea what this is capable of in his hands, Tidus. It has too much power. I need to destroy it now."

Suddenly, Tidus could feel what the energy was coming off of Auron: it was his own life force. He was infusing it into the Corona Aurora.

"What are you doing, Auron!?" Tidus asked, shooting a bolt of Thundaga at Beelzebub. As he did, Regina descended and began attacking the Alpha Demon.

"I'm making sure no one can get to this thing. If I can shield it with my own lifeforce, no one will be able to break through it because I can't die, and thus my life energy cannot die." Auron said, continuing to energize the Corona Aurora.

"Stop it!" Tidus screamed. He ran to Auron and tried to pull him away from the Corona Aurora, but found Auron's shield to be too powerful.

"It is for the best, Tidus…" Auron said.

At that moment, a small tornado descended down from the sky, hitting both Beelzebub and Regina. A small, blonde woman jumped down into the small area in which they found themselves. She wore an orange, sleeveless top, a pair of green shorts, and what appeared to be a long blue feather from her hair. On her right thigh was a pouch. She slipped off the goggles on her face, letting it rest around her neck as if it were a necklace.

Tidus stared at her in confusion. "Who are you!?"

"Name's Rikku! Nice to meetchya!" She said, winking. She then pulled out a small robot and wound it up with a small key in its back. She threw it at Beelzebub and plugged her ears with her fingers. "You'll want to cover your—"

Before Rikku could finish her sentence, the bomb she had thrown exploded. Regina flew high up into the air and landed somewhere a ways off as Beelzebub absorbed the attack, finding difficulty to remain conscious.

"Leave my planet!" Another girl said, appearing as if she were floating down from the clouds.

Tidus swallowed hard as he saw her, trying not to remain focused on how beautiful he found her to be. She wore her brown hair short. As her attire, she had on long, ceremonious robes. A large staff was in her right hand.

Auron began to collapse as he continued to channel his life into the Corona Aurora. "Tidus… There's going to be a massive explosion after I'm finished with the crown… You need to get these people out of here…"

"Auron, stop this!" Tidus screamed, crying. He had begun to look at Auron as if he were a father figure, and did not want this to be the end of their relationship. Fear gripped his gut, twisting it around in his torso. He felt as if he were to throw up.

The brown haired girl walked up to Tidus. "What's happening!? Is this man okay?"

Tidus wiped the tears off his face with his left forearm. "We're trying to protect this crown from those beasts attacking your planet."

The girl frowned. "I'll cover you guys. Animal Spirits, heed my call!" Suddenly, several wisps of light appeared from the sky, taking the form of many different animals. They began to surround the small group, roaring into the heavens.

Tidus shook his head. "Auron… I will _not_ let you do this… AHHHH!"

Auron looked up, almost depleted, as Tidus swung his sword at the bubble that had formed around Auron. The Alpha Zombie stared in shock as Tidus began swinging at the bubble. Confused by what he was seeing, he took his glasses off. He stared in wonder as he saw the Morphing Grid flowing freely and completely through Tidus. Each strike from his blade sent shockwaves through the shield Auron had placed around himself and the powerful crown. After ten hits or so, Tidus had shattered the force field, causing all of Auron's lifeforce to return to him from the Corona Aurora.

"How did you…?" Auron stated in shock as he felt his strength flow through him once again.

Tidus smiled. "You're family. I guess when push comes to shove, anything is possible when you want to protect those close to you."

Rikku ran past the animals guarding them, breathing hard. "Guys!? That big dragon thing is waking up and he has a weird orb in his hands."

Rikku, Tidus, Auron, and the brown haired girl peaked past the animals and watched as Beelzebub slammed the Orb of Doom into the ground. "If I can't have the crown, then no one can!"

Auron, still not wearing his glasses, saw the evil energies seeping from the Orb of Doom deep into the planet. He frowned. "We have to get out of here… _Now_!"

Tidus grabbed the Corona Aurora from off the ground. He then winked at Auron. "You know… I think I should handle it. Just in case you become suicidal again. "

Tidus then ran forward, crown on his head and sword in hand. He ran past the animals and toward Beelzebub. He slashed at the Demon several times before leaping out of the small trench. He looked down and shouted, "Come on! I bought us some time!"

As the three climbed out, Beelzebub stood up, badly damaged. He picked up the Orb of Doom, knowing the process had taken root and could not be stopped.

"Tidus! We gotta get out of here! There's something happening to the planet!" Jakon screamed as Jor followed behind him.

Auron nodded. "We know! Where's your ship!?"

Rikku shook her head. "There's no time. We'll take mine!"

"Yours?" Tidus asked. Before she could answer, a massive ship flew down from the skies. A bald man wearing goggles appeared from an open door, gesturing them to jump inside.

"Follow me!" Rikku screamed. She jumped off from the high cliff they were on, grabbing a rope the bald man threw to her.

The brown haired girl groaned. "So difficult sometimes… Follow me!"

As they ran, Tidus looked at her. "What's your name!?"

"My name's Yuna! What's yours!?" Yuna asked.

Clutching the crown on his head and causing his sword to disappear, Tidus yelled out his name. Tidus, Yuna, and Auron then leapt off the cliff, each falling onto a certain spot on the rope under Rikku.

While they climbed up, they saw Killian, App, and Trueheart battling Goresakubo, Diabolico, and Loki(D). Tidus yelled after them. "Come on! We gotta get out of here!"

As the planet began shaking, App turned to Trueheart and yelled over the noises erupting from the planet: "He's right! We have to run!"

Trueheart nodded as App ran toward the hanging rope. He then turned to Killian. "Follow us!"

Killian shook his head. "I can't! I need to find Regina!"

"I understand! Good luck and may the Power protect you!" Trueheart screamed. He gave Killian a large hug and ran off, finding his own place on the rope.

"Is that everyone!?" Yuna screamed, having found her way to the top of the rope and onto the ship.

Jakon nodded. "Yes! We're all here!"

The ship then began to plot a course to outer space. Meanwhile, Killian ran around, screaming Regina's name as the planet began to go through the final steps it needed to before it was transported away, like all of the other victims of the Orb of Doom.

"I'm here!" Regina shouted, trying to keep steady as the planet quaked. She then pointed up at the sky. As Killian followed her gaze, he saw Azazel carrying Beelzebub in the sky, followed by Diabolico, Loki(D), and Goresakubo.

"They have the Crystal of Doom! Or at least a part of it! We need to get it from them!" Regina shouted.

"Are you crazy! They almost destroyed us already! We have to get out of here before we fall with this planet! It seems to be going through some sort of self destruction!"

"Then let's leave this rock, but in _their_ direction!" Regina said, laughing. She cast a float spell on the two of them. She then began to direct them toward Beelzebub.

"Regina!? You're crazy!" Killian screamed.

Regina laughed again. "I know! But only the crazy ones ever find success!"

As they followed the Demons off the planet, Tidus and his crew of Morphing Masters, along with Rikku and Yuna, watched in disbelief. The planet they had been on began spinning wildly, out of its orbital pattern. Then, suddenly, it was gone.

"Noo!" Yuna screamed, falling to her knees.

Rikku began crying. "Why!?"

The bald man embraced Rikku. "I'm sorry, Rikku. This is truly awful."

Tidus walked over to Yuna and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry. We tried to protect you guys…"

Yuna nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate it." She wiped the tears from her face and stood up, with Tidus' help. "I had heard that something similar had happened to the people of the Dawn. I never thought that we'd be next… Who were those who did this!?"

Auron sneered. "Demons. They stole a powerful device from some mad man and they are using it to destroy the universe."

Jakon then pointed at the crown on Tidus' head. "And what is that?"

Tidus shrugged. "I don't know. But it's super powerful and the Demons wanted it badly."

"We can't let Lothor have it. He may be even more unstable than the Demons." Trueheart stated. The other Morphing Masters nodded in agreement.

"What should we do with it, then?" Jor asked, looking around.

Auron stood up straight, placing his sunglasses back on. "I say Tidus keeps it, to be its guardian. He showed immense power back on that planet, and is the reason the Demons didn't get their hands on this thing. He's also the reason I'm standing here with you all right now."

Trueheart closed his eyes. "I feel great power coming from you , Master Tidus. I vote yes."

One by one, the Morphing Masters in the room on the ship nodded.

Tidus looked at them all in shock. "O… Okay. I accept. I will stand as a sentinel for this crown. I won't let anyone get to it."

"You will be a most noble knight." App said, nodding.

"Sentinel Knight, huh? I think that should be your official title as keeper of that crown." Jor suggested.

"Okay, time out. Time out. What in the world is happening here?" Rikku said, wiping away her tears. "You called that dude 'Master', and then you did some weird voting thing. Who _are_ you guys?"

Tidus took the crown off of his head. Focusing, he caused it to disappear, just as he would do with his sword. App turned to Trueheart, giving him a look as if to say "Did you _see_ that!?". Tidus then turned to Yuna and smiled.

"Well, let me start off by telling you a little bit about myself. My name is Tidus, and this is my story."


	26. Pt 3 - Chpt13: Disorder Within the Ranks

**Chapter Thirteen: Disorder Within the Ranks**

Zordan stared at the sleek black armor that appeared on Burai. He could feel Black Energy emanating from him, mixing with the Red Energy that fueled Bio Mech Black's anger.

"Ay-yi-yi!" Alpha 4 cried out.

Trinity frowned and began to run toward Bio Mech Black and Zordon. The leader of the Resistance put up his hand, shaking his head. "Stand back, Trinity. This is between Burai and me."

Bio Mech Black laughed. "That's right..." He placed a small device on the ground. Pushing a button on the side of the cylinder-like device, a giant bubble appeared around the two, made of of many yellow hexagons. "And now that we're alone, I'm going to get my revenge!"

As Bio Black flew through the air, Zordon stared him down. "Magical source: Meledon force!"

Meledon Ranger grabbed Bio Black from midair, swinging him around. Letting go, Bio Black slammed into the bubble wall. He landed stomach first onto the ground.

Punching the ground with his fist, he pushed himself up. His whole body flew up into the air, before he jutted his legs out under him, landing on his feet. He pulled out a blaster and shot at Meledon.

The Red Nathadian Ranger did a handless cartwheel to his right, avoiding the hit. Before long, however, the blast slammed into his back, sending him to the ground.

Bio Black laughed. "My blasts are full of Black Energy, programmed specifically to target anything filled with _White_ Energy... Like you..."

"Zordon! No!" Trinity screamed, punching at the bubble. Tears streamed down her face as she turned to look at Masked Rider Wizard and Alpha 4 standing behind her. "Can't you do anything!?"

"Ahh!" Meledon screamed, still on the floor as Bio Black began continually hitting him with Black Energy. The Black Energy was beginning to overshadow his tap into the White Energy field in the universe, causing him to begin to fall out of consciousness.

Wizard Rider shook his head, in his base Flame Mode. "I have been trying, but can't seem to be able to do anything... I have never seen a shield this sophisticated before..."

"This is very bad! King Lexian, what do we do?" Alpha 4 said.

Demorphing from Masked Rider Wizard, King Lexian walked forward and placed a hand on the bubble's dome. He began channeling more energy into it.

With a look of determination, Trinity instamorphed into the Pink Ninja Storm Ranger. "Power of light!" She screamed, shooting the bubble with a stream of photons.

Master Mao and Master Rilla looked at each other. Mao nodded. "Channel our Animal Spirit!"

Closing their eyes and focusing, they projected their Animal Spirits at the dome, trying to break through as they heard Meledon's screams of pain. Joining in, the Gaia Rangers pulled out their Power Cards and began shooting streams of White Energy at the dome.

"Powers of Aquitar: body of one!" The two Aquitar Rangers proclaimed, beginning to gather the moisture in the air. The concentrated stream of water joined in with the others trying to save the leading General of the Resistance.

Bio Mech Black looked around. "What are you doing!? Why are you trying to help him!? Where were you when I needed you all the most, huh!? I was alone on that planet! No one was there to save _me_!"

At that, the Black Ranger shot three more blasts of Black Energy into Meledon Ranger. He laughed, staring at Meledon writhing in pain.

Meledon tried forcing himself up, but was too weak. "Burai... You're not evil. Remember when you first took the S... Sword of Darkness? You- You said it didn't affect... you..."

Bio Black laughed. "That's because I'm not evil, Zordon. I'm just getting my revenge!" He shot another blast of Black Energy at Meledon, causing him to scream out in pain.

"Burai! Zordon was there for you! He was just too late! He tried!" Ninja Pink screamed, channeling more energy into the dome.

"Lies!" Bio Black screamed, running up to the dome wall himself and pointing straight at the Pink Ranger. "Stop lying for him!"

"She is not lying!" Robo Knight said, appearing onto the scene after having ended his scouting of the area. "I was there. We tried saving you."

Bio Black laughed. "Don't believe everything you're programmed to believe."

"It's funny you should say that..." Meledon said, finally gathering the strength to stand. "I just scanned ... you're a cyborg. You've been reprogrammed!"

"Hehe... More lies from Zordon of Eltar." Bio Black said, turning around and shaking his head. "When are you going to stop lying to me!?"

"You're delusional!"

"Ahhh!" Bio Black shouted. He began shooting Black Energy at Meledon.

As the blasts flew at Meledon, he yelled out an attack by a prompting from the Nathadian Magic within him: "Meledon Conversion: White Battery!"

White Energy enveloped him. His suit turned white, with a symbol that looked as if it were a triangle, with lines like beams of light projecting out from it. Instead of a helmet, Zordon's head was exposed, while wearing a small white mask over his eye area. His normally blue hair was also shown as a pure white. He extended his hands, creating a small bubble before him that blocked Bio Black's death energy.

"I'm losing power!" Master Rilla shouted, falling to a knee. The others trying to break the dome concurred.

"Wait! Look!" Lexian, the King of Edenoi, said. "I don't think he needs our help..."

They stopped attacking the dome, staring at the new power in the dome before Bio Black. Meledon Ranger floated up above the ground. "Meledon Ranger: Life." He then shot several orbs of White Energy into Bio Black.

"Ahh!" Bio Black screamed, falling to his knees. The White Energy flowed through him, breaking down the very thing that was keeping him alive in his new state of being: the Black Energy Deviot infused him with.

Everyone in the area stared at Meledon Life in disbelief. Even through the dome, they could feel the awesome power emanating from him. Bio Black was feeling the full brunt of it. His suit began to spark and sizzle with electricity as it started breaking down.

"I'm sorry, old friend. This is for your own good." Meledon Life said. He pointed a hand at Bio Black, ready to deliver the final blow.

"VWOMP-VWOMP!"

Suddenly, four lasers flew down from the skies, blasting into the dome. It shattered, having finally reached the threshold of power it could stand against. Meledon Life looked up in shock as he saw two vehicles descend down from the sky.

"Storm Blaster and Lightning Cruiser?" Meledon Life wondered aloud, confused.

The red and blue vehicles landed beside Meledon Life and Bio Black, circling them.

"Ectophase: Activate!" Lexian shouted. He became the Masked Rider Flame Wizard, getting into a fighting stance.

The Sorcerer of the Sands walked onto the scene at that moment with Delu, having just finished casting a spell around the unconscious bodies of Mondo, Gara, and Zydos, to ensure they didn't escape. "What is happening!?"

Meledon Life lifted up a hand. "Everyone stand down. These are friends..." He then turned to Lightning Cruiser. "I don't believe it... After all these years? I thought you were destroyed in the Final Siege..."

"Vwomp. Vwomp-vwomp." Lightning Cruiser replied.

Meledon Life then began focusing on the car with his Nathadian Magic, scanning both vehicles. Suddenly, he could understand what they were trying to communicate. Lightning Cruiser had said: "We escaped during Master Vile's attack, after Ivicar stole the Ectomorphicons."

Storm Blaster pulled up beside Bio Black, who was on all fours, breathing hard. "We've been roaming the universe, helping people when they needed us. We were just helping the Aquitar Rangers use a loud plant against a bunch of grey people on Triforia with the Gold Ranger when we heard news of you being attacked here on Earth!"

Lightning Cruiser flashed his headlights. "So we came as fast as we could. We scanned the area and were happy to see the bio signals for both of our creators, but..."

Storm Blaster finished what his brother could not. "But we couldn't stand by and watch you destroy MasterBurai!"

Meledon Life frowned. "You don't understand... He's been corrupted. Uh... It's like someone reprogrammed him."

"If someone were to reprogram us, would you destroy us, or would you try and _re_ reprogram us?" StormBlaster asked.

Powering down, Zordon nodded. "You're right..." He then made his way to Bio Black. "Burai... Come with me. I'm sure Gosei and I could-"

"Leave me alone!" Bio Black shouted. A shockwave of Black Energy erupted from him, throwing Zordon off his feet. The Bio Mech Black Ranger then put his hands to his belt, activating a teleporter. In a split moment, before anyone could react, he was gone, a black streak flying up to Deviot's secret ship in orbit.

As Zordon turned to look at the others, Master Guin came running down the gravelly hill into the jagged, cragged war zone where the Wizard War had occurred. "Everyone, listen quick! Atlantis has been compromised. They are under attack by a group of evil Power Rangers as we speak!"

The Sorcerer of the Sands looked to the Gaia Rangers. He then looked at Guin. "Can you give us the coordinates?" She nodded, saying the coordinates out loud a couple of times so everyone could jot them down in either their wrist techs, or any other device they may have had.

Gaia Pink stepped forward. "Alright, Gaia Rangers. Let's go!" She screamed, sprouting wings and flying to the air, following the map that popped up on the wrist tech she had obtained from Delu's spaceship. The other Gaia Rangers followed suit.

As they flew off, Kamen Rider Wizard concentrated on his ring. "Infinity Ring! Magic Mode! Gold Dragon Style!" As his battle dragon armor appeared, he began to fly into the air. "Alpha!? Stay here and go help out in the base of operations here!"

"I'm on it!" Alpha 4 stated happily. He turned to Robo Knight. "Can you point me in the direction of the Resistance base?"

Nodding, Robo Knight typed in some coordinates in his arm, opening a portal to the base in the Magical Realm. "Head into this portal. It will lead you to where you need to go."

As Alpha 4 entered the portal, Robo Knight closed it. He then punched in a code into the panel opened on his forearm, morphing into his "zord" mode: a lion. He turned and began soaring toward Atlantis.

"Do you have anyway to get us there, Zordon?" The White Aquitar Ranger asked, stepping up to Zordon, who was hugging a demorphed Trinity.

Zordon looked at Storm Blaster and Lightning Cruiser. "You guys up for it?"

Storm Blaster blinked his headlights. "Just like old times!"

Zordon laughed. "They'll take you. Cestro and Delphine? You guys can hop into Storm Blaster. Mao? Rilla? Guin? You coming?"

Mao frowned. "I need to stay and make sure everything goes well as Flit takes the captured scorpion warrior to the Jungle of Spirits. I will ensure Black Lion sends who he can spare away from the Ancient Cityto help at Atlantis."

Rilla ran and jumped into the back of Storm Blaster. "I wouldn't miss this epic battle."

"Neither would I." Guin said, also sitting in the back.

Zordon tapped the hood and sent Storm Blaster off. He then motioned for Trinity to get into the passenger seat of Lightning Cruiser. As he jumped into the front seat, he had flashes of his first mission on Lightning Cruiser: flying through space while reading Master Michael's reports of the supposed origins of the Orb of Doom and the jewels of the Corona Aurora; zipping down with the armies of the War Star Armada, protecting Filcar and the Zeo Crystal from Novact and Master Vile; fighting alongside the vehicles on a moon above Solaris 8, as Orion was stabbed by Novact; the appearance of his future sister-in-law, Tria, as the first Power Ranger. It would all lead to him becoming a Morphing Master... all according to the plan of the Guardian. All in opposition to Burai becoming a Morphing Master, as he was supposed to have become. The only solace Zordon found in that thought was the memory that Burai would have been captured and brainwashed by Bansheera in the old timeline anyway.

 _Universal Equilibrium._ The words rang through his head, coming from his Nathadian Magic. He scoffed at the thought.

"Are we going to go?" Trinity asked, seeing Zordon had been lost in thought.

"Yeah... yeah." Zordon said, tapping on the dashboard to signal to Lightning Cruiser to go.

"So, you understand this thing?"

"I do now, thanks to Meledon Ranger. I made this big guy before I was even a Morphing Master."

"Interesting design. I've never seen anything like it!"

"Yep... Burai created these guys, too. We did it together. I... couldn't have done it without him."

Seeing that Zordon was bothered by Burai's resurgence as a villain, Trinity decided to not say anything else. She leaned her head over onto Zordon's shoulder. The two of them enjoyed the silence of flying through the sky, as they could, while flying to the war on Atlantis.

. . .

Rita Repulsa sat in her chamber room. She was handling the Dragon Coin in her hands, tossing it from palm to palm. Unbeknownst to her, Green Energy emanated from it, cutting off her connection to the Red Energyfrom her staff. She thought about her vision of the little girl who she had once been. She didn't even know how long ago it had been.

She rushed and grabbed for a communicator. She typed in a familiar number and awaited the operator to connect.

"Hello? Divatox here... Who is it!?"

"Hey... It's Rita..."

A knot twisted in Divatox's stomach. She remembered what she had done to Rita back on Liaria, ending their friendship. Although it had been to advance her career with The Queen, she was dissatisfied with how everything seemed to be stagnant for her. Especially after having been assimilated into Dark Specter's regime, she felt like he was more interested in keeping people in the status quo instead of moving them up.

Afraid Rita was trying to get information about her campaign against Gwinnett, Divatox put on an air of indifference. "Oh, hi Frita! How have you been over the past few hundred years? I hear you haven't been faithful with your Aquitar water treatments, what with aging and all that."

Not being fueled by anger, Rita let the insults bounce off her. "I was wondering if you remember anything about our childhood. You know... in The Queen's training program?"

 _She's trying to trick me! She wants me to give up information to make it look like I'm in cahoots with Bansheera still! She's probably recording this right now, ready to edit it and send it to Dark Specter!_ Divatox thought.

"Oh, I don't think about that at all. Dark Specter is the greatest and that's all _I_ think about. Is that all you wanted to know, Frita dear?" Divatox asked.

"Well, no, I-"

"Okay, buh-bye." Divatox said, ending the communication.

"Who was that?" General Havoc asked, walking into his sister's room.

"Someone selling kitchen appliances." Divatox answered, going to her vanity mirror to apply make-up.

"Oh, no! You didn'.t buy _more_ did you!?" Havoc asked in horror. He thought about how the regime was still in debt from the last "small purchase" Divatox had made.

"Of course not! Now... How are the plans?"

"I'm still looking over potential suitors. Do you know the new king of Eqypticus? The one appointed by Dark Specter after he overthrew King Sphinx?"

"Pharaoh? I know of him, nothing more." Divatox said, applying makeup to her nose.

"Well, he may have enough political power to help you climb the social hierarchy. I'm considering setting up a lunch date for the two of you."

"Oh, that's fantastic, brother! Then all I'll have to do is lay on the charm and he'll be mush in my hands... Haha! Soon, I'll be a somebody again! _Viva la Diva_!"

Back with Rita on the Moon Palace, she frowned while she stared at the coin. She then thought of Burai, the coin's former owner. "He didn't deserve everything I put him through. That wasn't fair... I need to get out of this war. Everyone is being hurt and ruined because of it. Those people who were apparently my parents. They went through so much pain trying to protect me... I need to get the Dragonzord to fight my way out of here."

With an invisibility spell near Rita, who had been lost in her own thoughts thus unable to feel the presence in her room, Darkonda nodded. He then walked out of the open door. Finding his way to another room, he opened it. He found himself in Goldar's training room that he had dubbed the Dark Dimension. It was a small area, with arches green in color, each arch having a network of silver crossbars. Gargoyle-like head ornaments were at the meeting point of each crossbar. A fog permeated throughout the entirety of the room.

Darkonda turned on a small device, opening a hologram link to Dark Specter.

"Yes, Darkonda?"

"Rita Repulsa is defecting, your heinous. She plans on turning against Lord Zedd and stealing resources from the empire." Then, a devious thought came to his mind. "I overheard her saying that she plans on going after _you_ , your worshipness."

"This is troubling." Dark Specter said. "She has the potential to be very powerful. I cannot allow her to attack me. I am not at full strength yet, and won't be for quite some time. Darkonda, keep an eye on Rita. Inform me if she gets closer to her goal of defecting."

Darkonda nodded as Dark Specter disconnected. Dark Specter then turned to Ecliptor. "This is one of the problems with being associated with villains: they get many dirty deeds done, but in the end they are not trustworthy, unlike you, Ecliptor."

Ecliptor bowed. "I am faithful to you and only you, my liege. But... What are we to do about traitors?"

"I have a plan, Ecliptor. I will need to do a quick recharge to help me last throughout this plan, but it should be short enough that it won't put me behind too much. A sort of investment."

"I don't understand..." Ecliptor said.

Dark Specter laughed. "You will..." He then turned around, heading to his chambers to pump himself with Dark Energy, and plan for his next move. Unlike his normal plans, the targets for this plan were his own generals.

. . .

"Falcon Slash!" Beast Red screamed. His gloves charged up with Red Morphing Energy, mixed with his Spirit Animal Energy. He slashed at Osiris as if his hands were knives.

"Ahh!" Osiris screamed, falling back in pain.

Badrat threw his arms out. "Rinzin power!"

"Jak! No!" Beast Blue screamed.

The Red Ranger was caught in the blast. He hardly budged. Turning on a private communication link, he said, "Guys! They don't use Magic! We'll crush them!"

"I'm gonna rip them apart!" Beast Black roared. He rushed forward and rammed himself into Unidoom.

Beast Blue watched in confusion. That wasn't Tob-Zu's personality at all. It then clicked for her.

"You have to control the Animal Spirit, Tob-Zu!" She called out to him. She then leapt over Osiris as he attempted to tackle her. She then realized that she was flying.

"Who are these guys!?" Osiris shouted, looking up.

"Retreat!" Unidoom screamed. Badrat and Osiris followed him back into the forest.

As the Rangers celebrated between themselves, Dai Shi and Octomus watched in their reflection pool the scene.

"I thought you destroyed them..." Dai Shi said.

"I thought so, too. They seemed to be able to rip into our planet's other newest visitors with ease. I think we have nothing to fear from these so called 'Phantom Beasts', Dai Shi." Octomus replied, not knowing he was looking at a game of rock - paper - scissors when it came to whether they could beat the Phantom Beasts themselves.

Dai Shi nodded. "Good. That Rinzin power seemed quite powerful. I guess looks can be deceiving..."

At that, Morticon came in, bowing before Octomus. "Master! I have done it!"

Octomus stared at him. "What? Where _have_ you been!?"

"Completing the mission you sent me on! I have found out where Gosei and the Liarians stored the Greatest Treasure. It is in the center of the Earth, and I found the path to it." Morticon reported.

"Fantastic. I will call you when we figure out what we will do next." Octomus replied.

As Morticon left, Dai Shi laughed. "Excellent. With the Greatest Treasure, we will finally rule supreme!"

"Yes, Dai Shi. Soon, we will be gods."

. . .

"Dregon, I highly suggest you stay in my ranks." Bansheera said simply via hologram.

Dregon sneered. "Why should I do that? Like I said: I have plans to take out Lord Zedd. I don't have time for your slow agendas anymore. He caused King Lexian to escape during his 'Putty' riot."

Bansheera smiled. "Stay because I am heading to Earth right now, Dregon. Where Lexian currently is. Where also Zedd is."

Dregon paused momentarily. He then said, "Fine. Call for me when you need me to... assist you on Earth."

Ending the communications, Dregon turned to Cyclopter. "Once we arrive on Earth and after she helps us eliminate Zedd and garner me the Royal Morpher... We destroy Bansheera and her Demons."

Back on Bansheera's end, she laughed. "Excellent! Yet another ally to help us. How are the preparations?"

Jinxer bowed before Bansheera. "My Queen! Deviot says the majority of the Resistance has been deployed in a diversion! The Earth is ripe for the taking!"

Bansheera laughed as she made her way to her throne in the middle of the ship's main command room. "Excellent."

"Soon the Greatest Treasure will be ours!" Loki(D) said, laughing.

Diabolico closed his fist. "And then universal co quest will be ours. All will become Demons!"

" _All_ for Queen Bansheera... _the_ mightiest of a as a aaaalllll Demons!" Vypra declared.

Ignoring Vypra, Bansheera laughed. "No one will stand between me and my destiny. The Greatest Treasure will soon be mine."


	27. Part 0 - Chapter 14: Making Pacts

**Chapter Fourteen: Making Pacts**

Mythical Master loomed over the Demons. The ledge he stood upon gave him a perfect view of his intended henchmen, symbolizing his attitude toward those who he wished to conquer: an attitude of ownership and authority. He stepped onto his flying workstation and floated down to the Demons, who were at the bottom of where two mountains met. Once he was close, he activated his wrist tech, turning off his stealth cloak.

Beelzebub saw him and sneered. "You again? What do you wish from us?"

"Why, to help!" Mythical Master declared, stepping off the workstation as it landed. The robe he wore was ever over his head, hiding his features. It was obvious he was large in stature, but other than that, the Demons were unaware of his real appearance.

Azazel pointed his scythe at the dark robed being threateningly. "Help us? Where were you before? We lost that powerful crown and were almost destroyed during that last battle!"

Mythical Master stopped and bowed to the Demons. "The grandest of apologies, great warriors. I was off attending to business. I must have missed the opportunity to help you in battle." He didn't wish to let the Demons know exactly what he had been up to: He thought of how he had to leave and begin the preparations to transport not only himself, but also the Demons, into his home universe. Because he was unaccustomed to Freelancer tech, he took longer than they did to get their Time Doors opened, and especially since he was attempting to leap from one reality to another, with various "hitchhikers", he knew he was going to need to make his preparations carefully.

Diabolico stood up from where he had been sitting on a rock. "Then return to that business. We have no further use for you."

Mythical Master frowned. "But I wish to continue your cause… What if someone uses your allergies against you? Silver? Salt? You can use me to get past those defenses! They mean nothing to me!"

"How can we trust you?" Azazel questioned. "How do we know you are not trying to use us for something?"

"I believe that is exactly what he is trying to do." Beelzebub said. "But… If he scratches our back, why not scratch back? This could be a profitable relationship."

Mythical Master was full to the brim in greedy happiness. "You are a wise beast, Beelzebub…"

"What about me, then?" Regina asked, stepping out from behind a mountain wall. "If you can strike a deal with the man in the hood, maybe the two of us can strike a deal. What do you say?"

Loki(D) grunted. "Who are all of these people? And what does this little lady have to offer us? I know that the guy in the hood helped us destroy the planet of those people called the Dawn, but what can _she_ do?"

"She has great Magical powers." Beelzebub stated. "I was unable to best her in battle. Tell me, Witch… Can you teach me?"

"I can." Regina said truthfully. She had the ability to teach him. She didn't offer the vital information, however, that she had no intention of actually teaching him.

Killian stepped out and prodded her. "Regina! What are you doing!?"

"Who is he?!" Diabolico demanded.

"He is my assistant. Please, let him be. And Killian? I know what I'm doing. Don't interfere." Regina said, turning back to the hulking beast that was Beelzebub. His multiple arms were very intimidating to Killian.

 _Assistant? I would have settled with_ _boyfriend_ _at least…_ Killian complained in his mind. He was extremely uncomfortable about the path Regina was about to tread.

"Fine, then. We will help you in your endeavor, Witch, if you help us in ours." Beelzebub said.

"What!?" Diabolico demanded. "She can't be trusted!"

 _This one is smart…_ Regina mused to herself.

"And neither can we. So we are all in accord then." Beelzebub said, eyeballing Mythical Master and Regina.

"Most definitely." Mythical Master said, angry that Regina was putting a kink into his plans.

"Yes." Regina said simply. Killian couldn't help but wear a look of disgust. He didn't go on this quest with Regina to end up siding with fiends such as these.

 _Is this what I've become? Am I nothing more than a Demon? Am I in the same league as these ruffians?_ Killian wondered to himself.

Beelzebub turned to Mythical Master. "Since you have proven yourself, we will hear your petition first. What will we need to do for you for your assistance?"

"I have a band of horrible people that I wish to defeat, but they are very powerful. I want your assistance in destroying them, but… I believe it will be more time intensive than I wish to throw upon you at the moment, and no offense to the miss, I don't want her involved." Mythical Master said. He didn't wish to have to bring Regina and Killian to his universe, because she seemed harder to control and manipulate. "So, I suggest I put my affairs on hold until the time comes that I am ready. Let us hear the Witch out first, then…"

Regina, happy to hear she wouldn't need to waste resources on Mythical Master, said, "Well, if I may… All I wish from you powerful warriors is your help in defeating one man."

Azazel laughed. "Only one man!? And you will teach our father great power!?"

Not addressing the fact she would not teach Beelzebub, Regina said, "He is quite a powerful man. I cannot defeat him alone."

"Deal." Beelzebub said. A red smoke danced from off his face. Suddenly, it zoomed over and embedded itself into Regina.

"What was that!?" Killian asked, grabbing at the teetering Regina.

"It was a deal that I have made with this Witch. She has allowed me access to her very lifeforce by dealing with me. Now, if she does not abide by our deal, her soul is mine. She will become one of my Demons." Beelzebub said simply.

"No!" Regina screamed, sneering.

Beelzebub ran forward with quickness that numbed the mind. He reached over and grabbed Regina by the throat. "Listen, Witch. The deal claus only comes to pass if you break the agreement." He tightened his hold on her neck. "Your reaction leads me to think you are wishing to betray me and not follow through… Is this true?"

"N.. no…" Regina managed to squeak out.

Beelzebub tossed her into Killian. "Perfect."

"What are they going to help us with, anyway?" Diabolico asked, eyeballing Regina with hatred.

"They will help us defeat my ex-brother, Michael. I need to learn more powerful techniques for the Holy War."

"What about universal conquest? What about liberating people from the potential of being destroyed if there is no Afterlife?" Diabolico further questioned.

"That will need to take a backseat for now. The Ethereals will never leave us alone unless we fight Michael according to his archaic traditions." Beelzebub explained.

Diabolico nodded, but was upset. _I believe in your cause, Beelzebub, but… I fear you are letting your sibling rivalry blind you. I must set you back on the right course. On the course toward universal conquest!_ Diabolico thought.

"Before we can even attempt to battle Michael," Beelzebub continued. "I will need to have this Witch's Magic, and since the task is fairly simple, we will attend to you first, before anything else. Who are we to destroy and where?"

Regina, standing erect due to Killian's help, looked at Beelzebub and curled her lips into a smile filled with venom. "His name is Lothor, and he resides on the planet Earth."  
Size

Lokar snuck back into the Great City, as he ordered Zen Aku to wait outside. The new Werewolf had thrown Lokar over the wall. After they had narrowly escaped defeat at the hands of Auron and Tidus, they had made it a ways away from the Great City before Zen Aku had doubled over in pain. The hunger was destroying him from the inside out, he had claimed.

Lokar had asked if there was anything that could be done for him, worried he would lose the great mind embedded with Zen Aku's cranium. Zen Aku had said he was working on a machine that had the potential of separating different pieces of a person's being, in a hope to deal with patients who may experience cancer, or even mental illness. Even though it was still in its prototype phase, he was willing to go back for it if it would potentially cure him of the wolf disease coursing through his veins.

"Take that!" Lokar heard Zurgane yell. Curious, the evil man looked around a tower to see Zurgane surrounded by what he didn't know were Oozemen, the special henchmen Lothor had launched against what Octomus and Dai Shi had termed their Ten Terrors.

Suddenly, Lokar saw Lothor himself appear in the midst of the battle himself. Unbeknownst to him, Ivicar stood atop the city wall, watching and learning from Lothor.

"Time to take out the trash!" Lothor yelled. A massive shockwave of Zocato power erupted from him, slamming the Ten Terrors into a wall.

Sculpin looked to his group. "We must leave this place. I have felt my Magic begin to leave me here, and whatever power that clown just used is sapping the rest of it!"

Matoombo nodded. "Everyone, retreat!"

Lothor laughed as he watched the Ten Terrors leaving. He was grateful that his Zocato power wasn't tapped into the Universal Magic Grid, because Jakon's wish earlier had eliminated all Magic within the city. Before Lothor had saved his loyal guard, Zurgane, he had watched the Ten Terrors in fascination. They seemed to be so in tune with the Magic Grid that they were able to continue using Magic from their own personal reserves, even after the wish from the Djinn had been cast.

Lothor yelled after the retreating sorcerers. "Remember to tell Dai Shi and Octomus that they are no longer welcome in the Great City!"

Overhearing this, Dai Shi looked to Octomus as they followed the Ten Terrors into the building. "Now what, Octomus? Lothor knows what we have been up to."

"No matter. We shall return to my hideout near the Sanzu River and plan there." Octomus replied.

As he attempted to enter the portal, that was slowly disappearing due to Ifrit's Djinn Magic, he felt something odd. "Ahh!"

Dai Shi and the Ten Terrors looked at Octomus, smoke spilling off his skin. "What happened!?"

"I don't know! It seems like some sort of enchantment is now blocking the entrance to the Sanzu River!" Octomus screamed.

Suddenly, Xandred appeared from the portal that had once belonged to Octomus. "I am Master Xandred, the Nighlok! Enter into my Gap and you will become a Nighlok as well! Haha…" He pointed a hand and shot a blast of energy at Octomus. "I'm recruiting all I can! Finish your transformation and come with me to my Netherworld!"

Octomus looked down and saw the skin on his hand bubbling. The spell had already begun to react with his cells. "We have to leave here now… He is very powerful…"

"What!? Blast him!" Dai Shi said, staring at the monster before them. He knew not it was his former Morphing Master comrade, Xan.

"I can't! Something is stopping me from casting Magic!" Octomus screamed, stepping away from Xandred as he continued slowly walking toward the twelve in the room, menacingly.

Xandred then ran with blinding speed forward, grabbing Octomus. "I'm not giving you a choice!" He then tossed Octomus into the portal that had been transformed by Xandred into a Gap to the Netherworld.

As he flew toward the portal, Octomus focused his Magic at the Gap. "Channel all of your Magic into the portal!"

Dai Shi and the Ten Terrors did as they were told. As they did, their Magic bounded into the portal. A bright flash burst out from the portal, lighting up the room. Octomus began being absorbed into the light and, as he was, he focused the last of his Magic onto the Ten Terrors and Dai Shi, pulling them with him into the portal. Within moments, Xandred was alone.

He stepped forward, looking into the portal. He could not see or feel any evidence of Octomus and his crew in the Netherworld. He grunted and stepped through the Gap, closing it as he returned to Octoroo.

Back outside within the walls of the Great City, Lokar slipped into Zen Aku's laboratory. As he walked past the swinging doors, he saw that everything had been left the way it was after the battle. He was glad to see Tidus and Auron were nowhere to be seen. He made his way to the back of the room, where Zen Aku had asked him to go. Looking around, he saw a small red apparatus, matching the description Zen Aku had given him. Lokar grabbed it and ran out of the lab, through the hole in the wall Zen Aku had made not too much earlier.

As he walked, a massive red ship swooped down from the skies. Lokar hid behind some boxes as he watched Tidus, Auron, Trueheart, Jakon, Jor, and App leap down into the city. He stared on, to see what was happening.

Tidus pulled out a communicator. "Okay, Rikku. Go find a place for you guys to pitch tent. We'll let you know when we are done here."

Suddenly, as the ship flew off, Lothor appeared before the six men. "You guys missed quite the show. But... I feel you left with a purpose. You have retrieved for me a part of the Crystal of Doom. I would like to have it back, please."

App shook his head. "We've come back to get our possessions and tell you we no longer want any part in your dark deeds, Lothor."

Lothor laughed. "I don't need you anymore. I just want what belongs to me."

"Step away, Lothor. Whatever you have planned, we can't let you complete it." Auron said, producing his sword.

Lothor began glowing with Zocator power. "Don't make me unleash my potential. Just give me what is mine and-"

Without warning, a blast of Black Energy hit the ground around the Morphing Masters. Looking up, they saw a revived Shimazu floating above them.

"I have reawakened and I am going to finish what I started!" He said, looking over the crew. Wanting them to finish each other off, Lothor teleported himself back to his secret apprentice, Ivicar.

"Why did you not engage them?" Ivicar asked.

"No need to. I am going to let them take each other out. No need to allocate your resources somewhere when something else can get the job done. I'll just swoop in and get the fragments of the Crystal of Doom later, from their fallen bodies." Lothor explained.

As the two looked down to watch the battle, Shimazu landed and blasted a charge of energy at those he had targeted.

Jor and Jakon stepped forward, placing their hands out before them and creating a shield of Ninja Spirit Energy to block the hit.

"Good technique, my students." App said. He leapt over them and shot a Samurai blast at Shimazu. As the Demon moved to block the hit, Auron swung his mighty sword. As he did, however, he fell to the ground, beginning to breathe heavily.

Tidus ran to him. "Auron!? What is it!?"

"My Magic... I can't use any and I m beginning to weaken..."

Tidus, reversing the roles they had played in the same courtyard only hours earlier, lifted up the Alpha Zombie and began running out toward the city exit. He wished to ensure Auron didn't get destroyed from the Djinn wish sucking away his Magic.

Trueheart, back at the battle, began swinging wind bursts at Shimazu. Shimazu blocked them before sending out another wave of Black Energy. It erupted through the four fighters, causing them to fall to their backs.

"We can't give up!" Jor yelled. He tried standing, but the blast had taken a lot out of him. The others were in a similar circumstance.

"Now it is time for me to destroy you!" Shimazu said, laughing. He pointed his hands and fired two orbs with enough power to decimate the fallen Morphing Masters.

"I don't think so!" Tidus cried out, flying through the air with his sword in hand. He swung his sword and destroyed the two orbs as they were about to connect with their intended targets.

"Him..." Lothor said, grinning.

"What about him?" Ivicar queried.

"I can feel it in him... He has junctioned with the pieces of the Crystal of Doom that somehow have separated from the mother crystal. He is becoming more powerful." Lothor replied.

He watched as Tidus stared at Shimazu. "I'm not going to let you hurt anyone else!" The Corona Aurora then appeared in Tidus' hands. Shimazu took a step back as that occurred, fearing what would happen next. As he did, Tidus' eyes turned orange.

"I am the Sentinel Knight. Feel the power of the Crown of the Gods!" Tidus yelled out. He had no idea where the title for his weapon came from, but it felt right saying it. An orange blast erupted from his eyes, hitting Shimazu straight on.

"No!" He screamed. Morphing Energy circulated him, with the goal that had been Tidus' intent guiding it. "What is happening!?"

"You're not going to hurt anyone anymore." Tidus said. As he finished, Shimazu's essence was absorbed into his mask.

"How did you do that?" Jakon asked incredulously.

"I'm not sure... I wanted to seal the Demon away and I, just... did." Tidus said.

Trueheart picked up the mask, having walked over to it. "Let us make sure this thing is put away so that no one can get it."

Tidus stopped. "Lothor is coming right now." With a flash of orange from his eyes, the Corona Aurora flowed through Tidus, allowing him to teleport the five of them out of the Great City.

Lothor looked around, a frown on his comical face. "You can't hide from me, _Sentinel Knight_ , if that's the moniker you wish to place upon yourself. I will find you and this... Crown of the Gods... and I will get my power back. The Emotional Spectrum is reaching its peak and I am ready to begin Project White Genesis. All I need now is my Crystal back. It won't be long now... Like I said: you can't hide from me."

As Lothor teleported away, Lokar ran out of the city. He found Zen Aku snarling, digging his claws into the outer wall.

"What are you doing?" Lokar asked him in shock.

"Trying to control myself... My hunger..." Zen Aku replied.

"I have the device..."

"Good. Let us get out to a place where I can... Argh! ... Uh... Set it up."

 _The sooner the better._ Lokar thought. The longer Zen Aku stayed like he was, the closer he got to losing the brilliant mind he was. Lokar nodded and followed Zen Aku as they walked out toward a place they could call their safe haven.

Not too far from there, Geki was surrounded by Dino Energy. Having channeled their Dino Spirits into him, his four companions stood back to watch.

"Are you sure you want to take me on?" Lije asked, smiling. Her psychic powers were brimming around her.

"Want to? No, I don't. But, I have to. I am a Dino Guardian. Hi-yah!" Geki said. He rushed forward, glowing with Red Dino Energy, and swung his sword that had merged with the Shield of Triumph. Lije was shocked to see the blade penetrate her psychic shield. Before it struck her, she teleported behind Geki.

Lije shot a blast at Geki's back, causing him to fly forward. Had he not been powered by the Triassic Shield, he surely would have been destroyed. Instead, he was able to redirect his motion midair and flip, landing on the ground and facing Lije.

"Impressive. Now face your deepest fears. Shadow Psych." A wave of black/purple power blasted out from Lije, dancing its way to Geki.

Geki knew what the attack was. It was a signature of Lije's. Those refugees who had escaped her onslaught of conquest in the past had told tales of the Shadow Psych attack. They said it caused a person to see before them their deepest, darkest fears. They said it was horrifying.

Geki smirked. "I don't think so. Triassic Dimension!"

Before she could react, Lije found herself in a surreal realm, on a single floating tile, as it were. Geki stared at her and shot several blasts of Dino Energy. Unable to use her powers to their greatest extent in a dimension catered to the Shield of Triumph, Lije was unable to absorb or block the attacks. She was hit hard, sending her spinning around in a comical way. Then, the dimension faded back to the natural Earth Realm.

Lije clenched her teeth. "You haven't seen the last of me..." Then, she vanished.

As the Dino Spirits returned to their respective owners, Geki looked to Mesogog, who was walking over to them. "She will be back for revenge. We will stick around to ensure you all stay safe."

Mesogog bowed. "Why thank you. You have no idea how much that means to us."

Dan frowned. "Where's tall dark and gruesome?"

"Hmmn?" Mesogog asked, playing dumb and buying Dracul more time to further hide their stash of "exotic" items.

"You better not be playing us for fools, Mesogog." Mei warned. "If you are hiding something, we will find it."

Mesogog looked and them darkly. He then hissed out the phrase, "How about we focus on not getting squashed by Lije, the planet destroyer? You were lucky to get out of that situation. Not many can say they danced with Lije and live to tell the tale."

"Right." Geki said. He then directed everyone back to their ship to set up camp.

Goushi looked out toward the Great City. "What is that?"

Mesogog laughed. "A tenant of mine. He rents the land from me. Have you heard of him? Lothor?"

Goushi nodded. "Yeah. He tried to recruit me for some group utopia weird thing. It sounded like a scam to me. I didn't even show up for the interviews he was holding."

"Interesting." Mesogog said, looking out toward the Great City. None of those at his complex knew what attacks had occurred during the opening festivals, and Mesogog hoped he wouldn't need to explain things to them. His great Hope was that Lije and the Dino Guardians would eradicate each other, and he would only have to take care of loose ends.

"We're going to stay here until we make sure you are safe, Mesogog." Geki informed the Dinoman.

"But of course." Mesogog replied. _But soon, my dear friend, you will be nothing but dirt under my foot. Mark my words._


	28. Pt3- Chp14: The United Alliance Restored

**Chapter Fourteen: The United Alliance Restored**

Dark Specter turned to his loyal assistant. He had kept him from being a Demon, to be able to use him at times when a "mortal" touch would be needed. He was a normal looking Human man, but had the ability to cause himself to appear in certain places by his fire powers.

"Chynn... I need you to tell the powers that be within the universe that I will be beginning my massive army. Those who wish to be involved in universal conquest under my leadership will come to meet me on Onyx. The rebirth of the United Alliance will begin where it ended, like a phoenix rising from the ashes! Let them know that since it will be led by me, victory _will_ be guaranteed!"

Chynn nodded and vanished in a ball of flames. Dark Specter laughed to himself and turned to his faithful servant, the former AM Dragon, Ecliptor. "We leave for Onyx now. Hehehe... Let the games begin!"

. . .

Scorpius sat upon his "throne" in his battlecruiser, the Scorpion Stinger. His mutations over the two thousand years since he had injected himself with the essence of the Dark Lord had left him with limited mobility. His arms and legs had become tentacles, while his body had been compressed into a fat, insect-like pouch. The former Edenite, physically, was a shadow of his former self, but at the same time, his power was never greater. He watched as Chynn finished relaying the message to him from Dark Specter.

"I want nothing to do with these games. Be gone." Scorpius said.

"But Daddy!" Trakeena said, pouting. "I thought you said you were going to make sure I would be the universal power."

"Patience, Trakeena. Like the fools before him, Dark Specter _will_ fall. I don't know how long we will need to wait, but it _will_ happen. Until then, we wait while I gain more power on this side of the universe, away from the main goings on of the universe at large. We plunder from small planets, sustaining ourselves until then. Relax, and enjoy yourself, Trakeena." Scorpius told his daughter.

Having been slowly warped from the innocent cadet she had once been to the entitled princess of her father's growing army, Trakeena smiled. "Yes, Daddy. Whatever you-"

Suddenly, a white smoke cloud appeared in the middle of Scorpius' main room. From the cloud, Treacheron walked out.

"Who are you!?" Scorpius demanded. His voice was deep and filled with hate, made worse by the sickening gurgles that accompanied it.

"I am a former general under Captain Mutiny, from Master Vile's army. My name is Treacheron."

"Captain Mutiny? I thought Corsair was destroyed two thousand years ago." Trakeena said, doubting the villain's origin story.

Treacheron bowed. "Sadly, that is true. I was in battle with a traitor from our ranks and those events led me to being spared the same fate as my former group. I have been working alone these past few centuries, but I am looking to work for someone who is powerful and has potential. I am very loyal and will do whatever I am commanded."

"I demand a test of proof. Find me a planet with many resources. Bring the coordinates to me and lead a small band of my soldiers down to that planet. If you are able to give me that planet, then I will consider you as one of my own." Scorpius said.

As Treacheron bowed again before leaving the room, Trakeena sneered. She then turned to her father and said, "But Daddy... If he is around, then he will get some of my spoils. I don't _want_ that!"

"You must learn that you need competent generals to do your dirty work for you, my daughter. If he is reliable, he will get a small sum of the spoils by which he can survive, plus a roof over his head. That is all he seems to want. I believe him. And, if he is a traitor, I will destroy him. Nothing lost either way. And, he will be yet another loyal subject to you, my princess."

Trakeena smiled. "You have such great perspective, Father." She then laughed as she imagined herself as the queen of the universe.

. . .

Dregon stared at Chynn. He debated within himself the pros and cons of joining Specter's United Alliance. He then sighed and nodded his head. "I am in the middle of a mission, but I am... 'on call'. Tell the Dark Specter to expect me."

"Very well." Chynn said, vanishing.

Dregon turned to Cyclopter. "Keep the Spider Ship on course to Earth. Do not do anything until I return... and do not let Bansheera know I am allying myself with her rival. It is not yet time we reveal our hand to the Demon scourge that she is..." Dregon then left for his personal shuttle, to fly him to Onyx.

. . .

Bansheera stared at Chynn in a rage. As she got angrier, she reverted to her true Demon form. "How dare you show yourself within my courts!"

Chynn, knowing she could do nothing to a hologram, did not flinch. "Dark Specter said this is a peace offering. Work for him, and you will be spared and forgiven of your past transgressions against him. Are we to expect you?"

"Rrrraaaawwwwrrrr!" Bansheera yelled. She shot several blasts of Dark Magic and Black Energy at the face as it disappeared. "Jinxer!?"

"Yes, Queen Bansheera?"

"Make a note..." She said, transforming into her Human form. That form made her still feel beautiful, forgetting how she became the creature she had become. "After we get the Greatest Treasure... I am going to _destroy Dark Specter_!"

. . .

Octomus laughed. "No. We are not interested in the slightest. Soon, anything Dark Specter has planned will be moot."

"You can leave now. And don't bother returning." Dai Shi added.

As Chynn vanished, Dai Shi turned to Camille. "So... do you understand your mission?"

She bowed. "Yes, Dai Shi. I will intercept Scorpina's captors in the Jungle of Spirits and release her. We will then infiltrate the Ancient City and get the Urn in the southwest tower. After we bring it here to you, we will go with Morticon and a legion of Hidiacs and Rinshi to retrieve the Greatest Treasure in the Universe!"

"Correct. Now go!" Octomus said.

Camille, scared of being beaten again, ran from their chamber. Dai Shi looked to his long time partner in crime and nodded. "Most excellent, Octomus. It has taken us nearly 200 million years, but we are almost there."

"Indeed, Dai Shi. Soon, we will be the most powerful beings in the universe. I will consume all power, and you and your animal friends will live in peace under my reign. We will finish what Lothor failed to do." Octomus said.

. . .

Master Xandred looked at Chynn and laughed. "I know nothing of any universal conquest, or of any 'Dark Specter'. I live happily here in the Netherworld. I want nothing to do with you! Be gone!"

"As you wish." Chynn said, vanishing.

"It sure has been a while since we had company, Master. Perhaps if we had taken him up on his offer, we would have been able to recruit more Nighloks faster!" Octoroo said.

"Hmm... The influx of Nighlok into the Netherworld has slowed down lately... Maybe we should be more aggressive. Those who I rule over here are getting rather bland."

Furry Warts, small yellow fungus that formed and afterward grew some sort of sentience, dropped from the rafters of Xandred's boat in the middle of the Sanzu River. They began chanting, "Rather bland! Rather bland! Rather bland!" while laughing.

"Ugh... I hate these vermin!" Xandred then produced his mighty sword, swinging it at the Furry Warts. As he did, unbeknownst to him, Serrator listened from outside the boat.

"Interesting... Xandred is finally going to step out of the Netherworld. I suppose my hibernation within the Sanzu River has completed itself. I should have amassed enough power by now to create my new warrior... hehe..." Serrator said. And with that, the secret Nighlok King jumped back into the waters, swimming to shore. After a few moments on the beach, he found a Gap and made his way to the main plane on Earth.

. . .

"Can we expect you? Dark Specter said he has looked over your history and he would be honored to have your input in establishing the United Alliance anew. Your brilliance during Project White Genesis was spectacular and he would love for you to act as an advisor to him." Chynn said, relaying the message.

Master Vile sat at his throne from within the Skull Ship. He looked at the book of necromancy on the table to the left of his throne. He just needed the last bit of information from Octomus before being able to use the spell to bring back his beloved son, Rito.

 _If I join Dark Specter, I may be able to_ _force_ _Octomus into giving me that final ingredient._ Vile reasoned to himself. Octomus had taught Vile how to read everything within the book save for the final step, which was extremely cryptic. Octomus said that Vile would need to work for him if he were to give Vile the final piece of the book's puzzle.

He stood up and faced Chynn. "Tell Dark Specter he can expect to see the mighty Master Vile step out of retirement to serve as his counselor. I'm back."

. . .

"Yes! I would love to have a hand in that!" King Mondo said. "How did you ever find me, though?"

"Dark Specter is very resourceful. His people saw much potential in you and they think you could even have your own empire." Chynn replied. "I will let him know to expect you."

King Mondo nodded as Chynn vanished. He then turned to Klank and said, "Have you finished my right hand man, yet?"

"We are just doing the finishing touches, sire!" Klank said, nodding and motioning over to Orbus.

Orbus connected his "mouth" to a protrusion on the machine's body, saying, "Wakey-wakey, sleepy-head!"

The machine's eyes came to life. He slowly lifted himself up. Excess metal and wires fell off of him as he did. He was a Humanoid, body wise. His entire body was made of sleek black metal. His head had what appeared to be a silver pentagonal striated plate where a mouth would have gone. On the top of his were small arches in a row, leading over the top from the back of the head toward his forehead, where a large blue orb resided. He had two emotionless red eyes, with a brow that appeared to give the "face" a look of anger. The ventilation system on his face flared out to either side, increasing the intimidating look his face gave.

He looked to King Mondo and bowed. As he closed his hands, the nails on them clinked against his metallic palms. "I am Aradon. I am ready to serve you, King Mondo."

"Excellent! You have been programmed to be in charge in my absence. Start production of the footsoldiers I drew up at once, Aradon. I will return shortly!" King Mondo ordered. He turned around and headed for the pod in the end of the ship, to program it to take him to Onyx.

"You heard him." Aradon said, picking up the schematics and handing them to Klank. "Get started on making the Cogs right away!"

. . .

"This is not a good time right now!" Vexacus yelled at Chynn. He shot a blast at the oncoming Ninja forces chasing him. "I was in the middle of a bounty when these space ninjas attacked me!"

"If you later decide to join us on Onyx, we would be grateful to have you." Chynn said, vanishing.

Vexacus looked at the one leading the space ninjas: Zurgane. Zurgane stepped forward, pointing a blade at Vexacus. "What have you done with Master Lothor!?"

Vexacus shook his head. He could see the golden orb floating on the pedestal behind Zurgane. It was what he had been sent to retrieve for his wealthy client. He knew he couldn't get to it. Not on that day, at least.

"You'll never find him, Zurgane!" Vexacus screamed. He then threw a pellet and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

In orbit around the planet, cloaked, Vexacus looked down upon it. "Sometimes you are more trouble than you're worth, Lothor..." Vexacus thought as he realized that needing to wait to get his client the expensive item would cost him fifty percent of what he would have gotten had he delivered by the time he had originally promised. He shook his head and waited for Zurgane and his men to leave the planet.

. . .

"So, you're telling me someone wants to rule over me? What!? Do I look like someone's pet or something!?" The Fear Cat, Benglo, said.

Chynn looked at the leader of that world's most notorious crime syndicate for a moment. He knew now how to reply to the question. He then just nodded and disappeared.

"What a loser." Mig said.

"Yeah. Who does he think he is, huh?" Cheetar said, standing from the table in their base where they had been playing cards. "We work for ourselves!"

Crazar shrugged. "Well, let's not let that detract us from our current plans, huh? So, Benglo, have you gotten an in with Prince Rexigan yet?"

Benglo laughed. "Of course I did. That guy's such a sap."

"Good." Cheetar said. "And once we have him in our grasp, we can finally get free reign over the land!"

Mig laughed, taking a drink of juice from his bottle. "Haha! Once he fully trusts you, it'll only be a matter of time before we can convince him on how that stupid goodie-two-shoes is really bad for his rep! Haha!"

Benglo nodded. "Yep. And once we have Jenji out of the way, no one will stop us from looting as much as we want!"

. . .

Villamax, standing while steering his pirate ship, laughed. "No. Really. I'm doing just fine. I don't need anyone else."

Chynn nodded. "Very well. I know my master will be quite disappointed. You and your crew have made quite a name for yourselves. We will be on Onyx if you change your minds."

Kegler sighed in relief. "I thought we were going on another misadventure!"

Halfnose frowned. "Why didn't we take him up on the offer?"

"Even after two thousand years, you apparently have much to learn still about being a pirate. We can't become commercialized. Pirates are free-wandering! We won't be able to do all we want if we allow ourselves to be controlled." Villamax told his apprentice. "Now, let's see where we can pillage next..."

. . .

The deformed Dinoman shook his head. "We are not yet ready to come forth. And how did you find out about us!?" He asked in his deep, otherworldly voice. He was different than other Dinomen: instead of green scales, his skin was mostly gray in color. His nose seemed to be more mammal like, due to the transformations he had seemed to have undergone. His teeth were also sharper and longer than the rest of those in his species.

"Dark Specter has his ways, Grumm. I just hope that you change your mind, before it is too late for you and your master." Chynn warned, disappearing as he did.

Grumm turned and stared at his master, floating in a tube. The transformation was continuing, and was approaching its end.

"Soon, your cerebral powers will be at their peak! And then, your magnificent plan will be unfurled! Everyone will behold you, as the Magnificence!"

. . .

"Yes. Tell Dark Specter to expect me." Lord Zedd replied.

Chynn then looked to the Demon beside Zedd, Darkonda. "Dark Specter wants you to stay on the Moon Palace and keep an eye on Rita Repulsa. Do not allow her to execute any plans against Zedd."

Darkonda sneered. "Since when am I a babysitter, Chynn!?"

"Are you too superior to listen to the mighty Dark Specter?" Chynn asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hmph." Darkonda said, turning around and leaving Zedd's chambers.

As he walked out onto the palace, he noticed it was empty. He went to Goldar's Dark Dimension, opening the door leading to it. He watched for a moment as Goldar practiced his sword techniques alone.

Goldar then stopped, noticing Darkonda. "Err... What do _you_ want?"

"Have you seen Rita?" Darkonda asked.

"No! Now leave!" Goldar shouted.

"Someone's grumpy today..." Darkonda said, laughing as he shut the door.

He peaked in on Finster as he worked on Cyclopsis with Squatt and Baboo. The War Zord looked nearly complete... and dangerous. Darkonda found himself in awe of it. He was disappointed, however, when he saw no trace of Rita.

Slipping into the shadows, he crept towards Rita's chambers. He slid the door open carefully. He gripped his blade's handle tightly, just in case she discovered him and attacked. He was surprised to see she wasn't there, either.

"Hmm... Where are you, Rita Repulsa...?"

. . .

Rita stared at the Ghost of Darkness. Red Energy filled her from her staff. She tapped into her Blue Magic and shot a beam across the room. A small vortex appeared but dissipated almost immediately.

"Concentrate harder." The Ghost said. "I need you to focus on your Blue Magic the way I taught you to. Once you do that, then you will be able to convert it into Time Magic."

As Rita cleared her mind as she was taught, the Ghost of Darkness looked at the Wizard of Deception, hibernating in a corner of the room. The Wizard War had taken a lot out of him, and it would be a while until he was awake again.

 _No matter... I can start my back up plan now if needs be. The Reunion_ _will_ _happen!_ The Ghost thought. He looked at Rita and was happy with her progression. He noted she was acting differently, but knew not why. Not exactly. He knew she had interacted with some Green Energy somehow, but had been unable to determine how. Rita had left the Dragon Coin back at the Moon Palace, so he had no way of knowing.

"May I see your staff, Rita?" The Ghost asked. He knew Zedd was controlling her with it, and he needed to be careful with his plan or else Zedd would know. He shot it with his magic, releasing a few of his special cells into it. He hoped that over time, he could gain complete control over her.

"This boost should do nicely!" Rita cried out. She focused on the abstract concepts of space and time and shot a blast out. A large vortex appeared... and stayed open.

"You are coming along quite nicely, my child." The Ghost of Darkness said, pleased with how his plan was unfolding.

. . .

"I will be there." General Havoc stated, saluting.

"Dark Specter will be expecting you, then." Chynn said before vanishing.

Havoc ran to his sister. "Divatox! I have great news!"

"What!? Is Porto getting plastic surgery!?" Divatox asked happily.

"Uh... no... We have been invited by Dark Specter to an elite meeting to join his super power group." Havoc said.

"How will that help!?" Divatox asked, grouchy after realizing he tech advisor was going to stay "ugly".

"It will make you more attractive for Pharaoh." Havoc explained simply.

Divatox smiled. "I like how you think, brother! Woo-hoo! We're gonna be powerful! We're gonna be powerful!"

"Now, prepare for the date, my lovely sister, while I go to the meeting!"

. . .

Michael nodded. "Everything had been running well with you at the helm. Castiel... I'm impressed." He was walking down the familiar hallways of his castle with D and Castiel.

"The Reaper University has been our biggest success story. After Bansheera resurfaced two thousand years ago, we were able to briefly have a wise sage by the name of Zordon help the Reapers. Not only are the Reapers stopping Spirits from becoming Demons by escorting them to the White Light, but Zordon helped us be able to brand many planets and even a few solar systems in their entirety so that Demonic possession was impossible in those parts." Castiel informed his king with pride.

"Fantastic. Now no one will be able to interfere when I battle Beelzebub." Michael said, looking off into the distance.

D and Castiel exchanged worried glances. For the most part, Michael seemed quite normal and a lot calmer than he had been before being sealed away. There were moments, though, when his belief that the Holy War would still occur seeped into the conversation. It was disconcerting for Castiel and D.

"If you will excuse me..." D said. "I have some paperwork to fill out."

Michael nodded, waving him away. Once D was in his office, he pulled his wrist tech out from his desk, calling for fellow Freelance agents. A vortex appeared before him, sending two agents with whom he was to speak to.

"Yes, Agent D?" Agent Chen asked. "What is it?"

"I have a kink in the plans: Michael, the King of the Ethereals, has returned." D said.

The other agent, a taller man with a beard, light skin and wavy hair, turned to D and frowned. "I don't understand. Why were you unable to predict this?"

Chen answered for D. "Agent S... We are currently in the universe code named the Time Anomaly Source."

Agent S' eyes widened. "Wow... This must be a difficult assignment then. No way to predict what will happen next."

D laughed. "That's why they kept me here past the Implementation Phase: to ensure everything continues properly."

Chen shook his head. "That September sure made a mess of things. The Traveler thinks it's only a matter of time before the Anomaly spreads out to other universes. It will just make our job harder."

S made a note in his wrist tech. "Stand by for further instructions from the Traveler."

And with that, the two Freelancers returned to the vortex. The Future: Omega Ranger was unable to secure a link on them with his Third Eye ability, to see where they were going.

D sighed and shook his head. "I truly hope the Holy War does not obliterate this entire universe."

. . .

September was sprinting through the woods. He could hear them behind him.

"You can't run forever!" Link shouted after him, leaping over a fallen log.

 _I can run four minute miles for over one hundred miles._ September thought, having adopted the measuring systems of his current universe. Unfortunately for him, he had been shot recently by the Freelancers and was severely slowed down.

Charlie ran ahead of his group, sensing September easily with his powers because the former Watcher was bleeding. "The Rogue went this way!"

Olivia laughed and did a front flip over a three foot wide ravine. "He's not getting away this time..."

Sweat poured down September's face. He could feel Yellow Energy around him due to his fear. He did not want to get captured. _I have so much left to do to protect the multiverse from the Supreme!_

"Ahh!" September screamed. He fell to the dirt, having been shot in his other leg. He rolled off his face and onto his back. He looked and saw the sharpshooter and Jumper, Olivia, making her way toward him.

"Stay down, Rogue. Stay down." She advised. He knew with how weak he was at that moment, there was a fifty percent chance that if she shot him, he wouldn't be able to catch the bullet. Those were not options he wished to have.

 _I hope this works..._ September thought.

"Hey! Guys! I found him! He's- ugh!" Olivia said, being cut off by an external force tapping into her mind. Blood trickled down her nose as she stood frozen in place. She moved her eyes and saw blood trickle down September's nose as well.

"Stop!" Olivia screamed, powerless.

"I am truly sorry for your pain, Oliv-"

"You're a Watcher! You don't have feelings!" Olivia screamed.

A single tear rolled down September's cheek. " _I_ do." He then had tapped into Olivia's Jumper abilities with his psychic force. He felt a bullet whiz by him as he began to feel a charge around his body.

"Let her go, Baldy!" Link screamed, jumping onto the scene. September could perceive Red Energy floating about him.

Before Link could shoot the fatal shot, September suddenly felt as if he were going underwater. A split second later, he found himself not in a forest on Earth, but in what appeared to be a dark desert. The night sky was an eerie mix of purple and red.

September sighed in defeat. He had been hoping to teleport himself to his friends. He knew they were, somehow, residing outside of space and time, surviving someway in what was known to his scientists as the Nothingness.

He looked down, surprised to see his wounds were healed. He knew not how that had occurred. He wondered if it was due to his new location.

"I tried to get to the Nothingness, but... I ended up here. Where _am_ I?"

A dark voice (*voice of Liam O'Brien) erupted behind September. "Ah. The Nothingness. A fitting name for the wretched realm to where I was cursed. I have used my powers to surround myself in a place where I don't need to endure the suffering of being digested by this... 'Nothingness'. I do not know how you arrived here, but know that it is called the Void."

September turned around with lightning speed. He beheld a mighty figure before him. He had what appeared to be a combination of scales and bark for skin. They were a charcoal color. Over that were swirls of what may have been hardened feathers. He had tiny, sharp teeth from what September could see, with a mouth that bulged out a bit. He seemed to have two eyes, though one was obscured by a pocket watch that served as a monocle. The eye visible to all was a glowing red orb.

September swallowed hard. _What sort of creature resides in a place outside of time and space...? This is not good..._ He looked the creature in the eye and asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Crono, the Demon of Time. And now that I have answered your question, I demand an answer to one of my own: Where is Auron!?" Crono asked.

September took a step back as Black and Red Energy surrounded him. "I know of no Auron."

Calmly, but with assertion, Crono shook his head and said, "You lie. He and his companions were who sealed me here! He took my love from me..." He then shot a blast of Demonic power at September, ducking the blow.

"I assure to you I'm not lying!" September insisted.

"Did Auron send you here to mock me? Hmph. I will find him and cause him to suffer, just like when I destroyed those with whom he served. Ahh!" Crono screamed, punching the ground and dividing it.

September shook his head. "Out of the pot and into the fire..."

. . .

Chynn looked around, confused. "I thought Deviot would be here..." He shook his head and vanished.

As he did, Deviot reverted back to his true form, having shapeshifted into a plant. He hit a button on a remote, activating Bio Mech Silver.

"Who was that?" Silver asked.

"A lackey from Dark Specter. I don't want him knowing what we are doing here. It will interrupt my quest for the Corona Aurora." Deviot replied.

"What is my next step, then?" Silver inquired, hoping he knew the answer.

"You go down and help destroy Atlantis!" Deviot declared, laughing.

Bio Silver nodded. He opened up his arm panel and locked in on his fellow Rangers. He pushed a button and teleported down to them.

"Good to see you here, Silver." Bio Red said, laughing as he pushed a citizen of Atlantis away from himself.

"Be careful." Bio Blue said. "These are a race known as the High Ones. They are very dangerous."

"But we're the Bio Mech Rangers. We won't go down without a fight." Bio Black said, laughing.

At that moment, Thor slammed down from the skies. He swung his hammer around his head. "I am the almighty Thor. Prepare to meet my friend, Mjolnir!"

"Bio Mech Black."

"Bio Mech Pink."

"Bio Mech Blue."

"Bio Mech Yellow."

"Bio Mech Red."

"Bio Mech Silver."

In unison, they stepped forward and declared: "Power Rangers: Bio Mech!"

As they did, explosions erupted around them. Storm Blaster flew in, dropping off Masters Rilla and Guin. The vehicle landed, with Cestro and Delphine stepping off.

"It's morphin' time!"

Together, they said: "Rangers of Aquitar - We need more power!"

Laughing, the rangers began to fight off those who were attempting to protect the city.

The next heroes to arrive were the Gaia Rangers. As they landed, Gaia Pink pulled out a Power Card. "Okay... I'm going to shoot out some White Energy to see if I can feel the enemies..."

She focused and was able to get her intended result. Unfortunately for her, an unintended one occurred as well.

Gaia Red fell to his knees as the White Energy exogenous to his own passed through him. He demorphed almost instantly.

"Marvin!" Gaia Yellow shrieked. The team ran to him.

"What's wrong, Marv!?" Gaia Black demanded.

Marvelous opened his eyes as he replied. The Gaia Rangers stood back in shock. "I don't know! It hurts! Guys! Help!"

"His... his eyes..." Gaia Green said, pointing.

"What is it it!?" Marvelous screamed out in pain.

"They're black, Marvelous." Gaia Blue said, shaking his head. "Your eyes are black."

Overhead, Masked Rider Infinity Wizard Gold Dragon circled, flying into the city. As he did, though, his communicator went off.

"Father. This is Kamen."

"Yes, son?"

"Dregon is gone. I repeat: Dregon is gone. We need you back here immediately!" Kamen cried out.

The flying Masked Rider looked down to Atlantis, then up to the sky. He shook his head. "Okay, Kamen. I'm on my way."

 _They have enough fighters. They should be fine..._ Masked Rider reasoned to himself. He then channeled in to Alpha 4. "Alpha?"

"Yes, King Lexian?" Alpha asked.

"I am returning to Edenoi on an emergency. I need you to stay and help on Earth until I return for you."

"Yes, my king!" Alpha 4 said.

From her monitor, Dimitria asked, "Who was that? King Lexian?"

"Yes, it was. He had to return home suddenly. I will stay here, though, to help."

"Are you not worried that perhaps we will all be in trouble without his power?" Dimitria asked.

"I trust him. He is a good man. If he thinks we will be fine, then we will be."

Dimitria looked away. She was worried. Being unable to affect anything, she focused her communications to Robo Knight.

"How are things for you?" She asked.

"They have gone from good to bad!" Robo Knight declared. "Some Monsters spotted me in the sky and followed me from the mainland to Atlantis. They have powers I have never seen before!"

"Has everyone arrived to help you there?"

"No. But I will fend them off." Robo Knight declared. He swung his sword at who seemed to be the leader.

Scorch blocked the blow and pushed Robo Knight back. "Haha! Nice try! Snapper!? Whiger!? Go out and search this city. I feel great power coming from it. Once we get it, call the other Phantom Beast Generals over here. I think this will be our new home!"

"I don't think so!" Beast Green shouted, flying through the air. He rammed into Snapper as Bio Yellow picked up Whiger. She then threw Whiger into the concussed Snapper.

"Power Rangers: Beast Watch!"

"New rangers!?" Robo Knight said, astonished as he dodged a blow from Scorch.

Beast Green looked at Whiger as he began to stand up. The Rhino Spirit within him began exerting its influence upon him. "Oh, man. I'm going to rip that guy apart! Ahhh!"

As Beast Green charged forward to hit Whiger, Beast Yellow, who was naturally combative, laughed. "Now you're talking, Mar!" She then ran forward to join him.

From up in space, having climbed off his bed and into a hoverchair, Cris-Re looked over the battle. "Oh, no. Green has lost control. Ship to Red! Ship to Red!"

"This is Red Ranger... Cris-Re!?"

"I'm sending some coordinates to you right now. Green and Yellow have intercepted more of those Monsters you fought just a moment ago. Please help them immediately!"

Cris-Re shook his his head as he looked at the scene from his ship's monitors. Things were looking bleak on that city. What crushed him even more was that there were animals fighting on the city.

The one leading them, Lionel, roared. "Faor! Ryl! Ave! Each of you call a sector! I'll get the north sector!"

Lionel roared as he saw Osiris and Unidoom appear from seemingly out of nowhere.

"Rinzin!" Osiris yelled.

The blast was enough to take the giant lion from off his feet. Lionel pulled himself up up and roared. "You're going to pay for that..."

From up in the sky in Lightning Cruiser, Trinity frowned. "I see seven evil rangers and eight unknown Monsters... and counting."

Zordon shook his head. "Brilliant. Okay, then. Lightning Cruiser? We're heading off here. You circle down and join Storm Blaster. Got it old buddy?"

"Vwomp-vwomp (you betcha)!" Lightning Cruiser replied.

"Uh... Honey? We're several miles above the city still..." Trinity said.

Zordon smirked. "Hunh... I thought you said you were pronounced a Morphing Master..."

She stuck her tongue at him. She then slugged him on the arm. "You're gonna pay for that." She then swan dived off the vehicle.

Zordon laughed. "Time to do some damage control..."

He jumped off Lightning Cruiser, headfirst. As he was falling, he spotted Lightning Cruiser race by to join his brother in combat. Zordon then looked over and saw Trinity surrounded in pink light.

"Ninja storm! Ranger form! Ha!" She screamed as she morphed into the Pink Ranger.

"Ancient source: Meledon force..." Zordon said calmly. They both performed a front flip and landed together in the square. They cracked the road they had landed on with the force of their descent.

Surrounding them was Bio Red, Bio Black, Bio Pink, and Badrat the Phantom Beast Warrior.

Meledon looked at Ninja Pink. "You take the rat Monster and pink one. I'll take Red and Burai..."

"Is that wise?" She asked.

He sighed. Without answering, he rushed forward to beat down what he didn't know was not one, but two former friends.

. . .

Dark Specter looked down upon the various villains congregated beneath the protruded rock upon which he stood. Fire emanated around his body as he laughed.

"War masters from around the universe: I am Dark Specter. You have all made the right choice by being here today.

"Some of you were participants in what was called Project White Genesis. That is done! We are starting a new order! A new project! We will stand together as a United Alliance of Evil!"

Roars arose from the crowd, made up of the generals and many of their footsoldiers: Putties, Tengas, Piranhatrons, and the like. Dark Specter raised a hand to silence them.

"Now, this is your last chance to bow out: I have gathered you all here to battle each other!" Dark Specter said. He mused at the shock on everyone's faces.

"I wish to prove the hierarchy we will have. The longer you stay within the bounds of combat, the higher your rank within the Alliance you will have. The last person standing will then challenge _me_ for my leadership."

At that moment, Ecliptor and Master Vile stepped forward. "Because of past service, these two have earned their roles within the Alliance. Now... who will stay, and who will be amongst those we conquer under foot? Who will leave under the pressure!?"

Dark Specter nodded in approval when he saw no one budge. They feared not being under his wing more than fighting each other. He supposed they were also afraid of looking weak before each other if they were to bow out. "Fine! You have all chosen wisely! The rules are simple: free-for-all! Fight and try to take each other out. If someone approaches the threshold of destruction, they will be teleported out by me. No one will argue my decisions on who will be taken out. The longer you stay, the higher your position within the Alliance. If you are the first out, you are at the bottom of the flagpole. As of now, I am at the top, with Darkonda and Ecliptor and Master Vile having equal power below me. The rest of you need to earn your places!"

As he said this, a giant force field appeared around them. "There is no escape now! Let the battle begin!"


	29. Part 0 - Chapter 15: Gruumm Reaper

**Chapter Fifteen: Gruumm Reaper**

Lije gasped for breath. She had exhausted a great amount of her psychic powers in that last battle. She looked down to see her hand trembling. She shook her head and stood up from where she had been sitting.

Her teleportation had sent her to a mountain range near Mesogog's complex. She had gone to that spot after losing in battle to Geki, having spotted a cave at the top of the mountain from afar. She peaked out from the cave's opening, at Mesogog's complex, and saw the Dino Guardians setting up camp. She frowned.

 _It's not fair... He cheated! I didn't know he was going to rip me from this reality to one that would amplify his powers and inhibit mine. The rules were changed!_ Lije thought bitterly. _I can't wait to get back to my people. I'll come back with reinforcements and tear them apart!_

Lije curled her lip. She was beginning to grow tired of the atmosphere on Earth, and she was frustrated with having stayed away from her people for so long. She wanted to find a way out and back to her people sooner rather than later.

She looked to the east of the complex. From the cave entrance, she spotted Mesogog's private shipyard. She laughed and began to exit the cave.

 _Most excellent. All I need is to commandeer one of those crafts for myself and make my way back to Dawn._ Lije thought, revenge filling her thoughts. She then frowned, realizing that with all her power, she was still only a child, and had never learned to fly a carrier.

Hoping for the best, she opened her mind and teleported herself to the yard. Even though she was too weak to battle, she could still get around easily enough. She had emerged beside a large fighter ship, the most advanced one she could see in the yard. She could see the crew had been busy rubbing the name off the front of the red ship. She could just make out the name "Ragnarok" on it.

 _Thieves wanting to steal it and sell it on the black market. What a shame such efforts are wasted on trivial matters like money._ She thought. She rather fancied the name herself and, with a wave of her hand, "Ragnarok" was printed in visible colors on the side of the ship once again.

 _And now to find myself a pilot..._

"Hey! You! Stop right there!" A gruff sounding voice yelled.

 _Bingo..._

Lije turned around to see the Dinoman behind her. She found herself startled at the sight. He was very odd looking, for a member of his species. His eyes were bigger than his brethren, and his head more Humanoid than not. It seemed obvious to Lije something went wrong with this Dinoman when it came to getting an "attractive" phenotype.

"Oh, you're just a little girl... Sorry, Sweetie. You don't belong here." The apparent security guard said. "Let me help you out of here to find your parents."

"You... don't know who I am?" Lije said in surprise.

"Are you some sort of celebrity? Sorry... I don't get out much... uh... I'm usually really busy with my chores..." The guard said uneasily.

Lije smirked, starting to realize what the security guard was trying not say. His mannerisms coupled with his appearance told a story. "You get picked on a lot, don't you?"

He chuckled. "I wouldn't say that. I-"

"Because you look different, they give you all the chores they don't want, huh? They don't even let you read the news, right?"

"...I can't read... hey, kid, listen, you're not suppo-"

Lije began glowing. A purple aura shown about her. She floated up into the air, eyes sparkling a dark purple hue. "What if I can liberate you?"

"A god!" The security guard cried out. He dropped to his knees and lifted his arms up. "I surrender myself to you!"

 _That was easy..._ Lije thought.

"I did not mean to offend!" He said, tears streaming down his face.

"You do not offend me." Lije said, playing the part he had given her. "Those who bother you offend me. You have so much potential... did they even teach you how to fly a ship?"

He nodded. "I'm their driver for many events."

Lije let out a sigh of relief. "Would you like ultimate power? To show them they were wrong about you?"

For the first time in his life, that Dinoman felt Hope in his life. Blue Energy swirled around him as he nodded. "Yes! Will you bless me!?"

"Open your mind to me..." Lije said. She then sent out a psychic blast. She had little trouble entering his mind. She figured that even if he _had_ put up any resistance, with how little his mind had been exercised over the years, she would not have had much trouble breaking him. That he was willing did very little to tax Lije's powers

He stood up, eyes shining with the same purple light Lije's had. "I am at your service, my master."

Lije looked at him and smiled. His allegiance was to her from that point forward. Everytime he would do something for her, his reward sites in his brain would activate, sending pleasurable hormones through the receptors. The receptors, having been infused with Lije's power, would continually regenerate, so he would never have problems with up or down regulation: she would be his drug; the drug that would not stop satisfying.

"Take me somewhere on this ship." She ordered.

Her new servant nodded. "I live to serve you. Where shall we go?"

She smiled. "Dawn, the planet of my people. See to it that we get there quickly." She then stopped and considered something she had not bothered to find out when she entered the Dinoman's mind. "What is your name, by the way?"

"Gruumm."

. . .

Lothor slammed a fist into the wall of his quarters. "Ivicar... Did you know that the Emotional Spectrum is near its peak?"

Ivicar nodded. "I have been paying attention to that like you said. But I sense that one, the Violet Energy is low... what does this mean?"

"Hehe... You have proven that you are loyal, Ivicar. Listen to me. The universes are constructed of many different things. The Morphing Grid, which is dormant in many universe; the Magic Grid, which is used more often than not; and the Emotional Spectrum, which gives sentient beings the ability to feel different emotions. Each person chooses which one they will tap." Lothor said.

Ivicar shook his head. "I don't choose to be angry if someone wrongs me."

"But yes you do! Well... you choose to give into the anger... Your sentience is within you, just as your basal genetic instincts are - the animal part within us all. The instinct is to get angry, or to tap into the raw power of the Red Energy of Rage, to defend yourself or those over whom you protect. But, the sentient part of you can choose to actually allow the energy to wash over you... or not. Haven't you ever met a person that was so incessantly bubbly it made your skin crawl? No matter what happened, they did the best they could to not be offended and be optimistic? They choose to not be fueled by the quasi-uncontrollable force that is Red Energy. Tapping into it can lead the user to become nearly animal like and lose control."

Ivicar took a seat at a table in the room. "How does a person override their emotions, then?"

"The Green Energy: Willpower. If someone can tap into this portion of the Spectrum, and believe me it is difficult, since it is in the middle of the entire Spectrum, buried in the midst of the others, then a person can have full control of their feelings and emotions." Lothor explained.

"Why is the Spectrum 'peaking' right now, then? How can we get the Violet Energy up?" Ivicar asked.

"Here is a little lesson for you, then: Red Energy is Rage. It is peaking right now because of the destruction being wrought by the Crystal of Doom. It was supposed to be one of the latter pieces of the plan, but the stupid thing leaked faster than the specs on a new iPhone.

"Orange Energy is Greed. People like most of us in the Morphing Masters, including yours truly, channel this like none other. That is why I have been speaking about the Power Eggs and Greatest Treasure so openly - to get their 'Greed juices flowing'!

"Yellow channels Fear. It is at peak at the moment because people who are too weak to fight back against the forces they see in the universe don't get angry, they become afraid. In an interesting little sidenote, apparently those who are _causing_ people to fear channel you  
Yellow Energy as well." Lothor then waved a hand in the air, as if to swat the idea away. "I don't understand a lot of that stuff. It starts getting too deep, really.

"At the center of the whole mess is Green: Willpower. I have already explained the basics of Green to you, _but_ interestingly enough, Green is affected by its neighboring energies!

"Next in the spectrum is Blue Energy, the embodiment of Hope. Someone with Hope is extremely annoying. No matter what you throw at them, they keep chugging along. That it why I chose people like App and Trueheart to be Morphing Masters: The more we try to destroy the universe, the more their Hope that everything will turn out 'okay' will get that piece of the Spectrum to its peak.

"Now, if someone wielding Green Energy has something they fear, then if they meet up against the Yellow Energy, their Green Energy will be completely powerless and overridden. Conversely, Blue Energy and Green Energy feed off each other. They can even block each other from the influences of the other Energies! Blue Energy actually has the potential to be the strongest of all of the Spectrum, but it needs to have Green Energy by its side to help it reach its potential.

"Indigo is the penultimate in the Spectrum, representing Compassion. So, in essence, people are seeing others go through problems, such as an entire planet being destroyed thanks to those buffoons using the Crystal of Doom incorrectly, and those around the tragedy feel bad for them. Outside of his tech know-how, that is why Octoroo is here: I know at least one of these powerful people here in the Morphing Masters will have compassion on him.

"And finally, the final piece. The rarest piece: Violet Energy. Real, pure Love. This is why I tricked Regina to come with me!" Lothor said, laughing as he took a seat directly in front of Ivicar. He had been pacing the entire time he had been explaining the inner workings of his plan to his apprentice.

"She is capable of pure love? I wouldn't have guessed..." Ivicar mused.

"Oh, yes... She has been primed since before we arrived here. I tricked her into betraying all of those who had accepted her for who she really was... on the promise I could resurrect her adopted son! I showed her my necromancy powers and she was convinced that as long as she followed me, she would be by my side to shape the universe in our image, with 'little Henry' by her side! When I get the Crystal of Doom back, then I will be ready to do the final stages of White Genesis. The first thing I will do after that is tell her what she lost: her friends and the only one who was her family... and there will be no way to get them back. Then, I will crystallize her, trapping her in that moment. You see... one can feel great love when hurting for those who they have wronged or lost. In that state, with how powerful that Witch is, the Violet Energy will overflow!

"Her little boyfriend that she thinks she is hiding from me, Killian, will serve as an extra aid to that. He will hurt deeply when he sees what fate I will bring upon her!" Lothor said, laughing maniacally.

Ivicar stared at him in shock. "I had no idea... that is truly evil. You have been manipulating everyone into such an amazing tapestry of horror."

"That's right! And all so I can become the God of Magic! All I need now is the Crystal of Doom!"

"What does that do?" Ivicar asked.

"If used correctly, it will allow someone to be able to rewind a planet to its primordial stages. Then..." Lothor stood and pranced to his "special chest. He bent over and opened it. After looking for a moment, he pulled out a large sword.

"What is that?" Ivicar asked in awe.

"The Savage Sword. It is apart of the plan. After a planet rewinds to its primordial stages, its Lifestream is ripe for the taking. Very potent. The Savage Sword is then plunged into the ground of that planet. It will absorb all of the Lifestream from the planet, now that it is so young and potent, and also the Spirits of any living thing on the planet, to be used as a power source to help me become the God of Magic." Lothor explained. He smiled as he put the sword back.

"What else is in that chest?" Ivicar inquired.

"I'm getting tired. I'll explain the other artifacts later. Right now, we need to get the Crystal and its pieces back. They are using it wrong and I have no idea what that will do in the long run."

"How do you know they are using it wrong?"

"I saw news reports of planets disappearing. Recent one was called Al Bhed. Fits the description of what the Crystal would do if used incorrectly, if I recall right."

"How did you hatch this scheme!? It's magnificent!" Ivicar proclaimed.

"I took it from someone else. He was a brilliant scientist, but he was so focused on learning the science behind each aspect... I betrayed him and took the plans for myself. I was stronger and more driven than him! He was a fool for focusing so much on menial things."

"Do you think perhaps you may have missed something? Maybe he had a reason?"

Lothor shook his head. "Nah. He was obsessed trying to figure out some riddle about an Omega. I don't understand what it means myself, but it really doesn't interrupt the flow of the plan. As God of Magic I'll probably figure out what it is then, anyway.

"Now... Let us go and find Tidus. He has a piece of the Crystal of Doom and I want it back."

. . .

Tidus sat at a camp site. He stared into the fire. He couldn't believe what had happened with his life. It felt like an eternity since he was found by Lothor as an orphan on the streets. He closed his eyes and focused on what he knew was called, somehow, the Crown of the Gods. It resided in him, just as his other weapons did. He had found at an early stage in his life that he had an odd ability to store things inside of him, as if in his body he had his own dimension.

"Are you okay?" Yuna asked. She sat beside him and looked into his eyes as he opened them.

He smiled. "Yeah, I'm just thinking. Really... I should be the one asking you how _you_ are. I am so very sorry you had to go through all of that. Your planet..."

Yuna sighed. "My uncle was just taking me on a trip to the Badlands, a place on the outskirts of my kingdom."

Tidus nodded. She had told him earlier that she was royalty on her planet: a princess. She had been betrothed to a man she did not love named Seymour, for political reasons.

"I saw you being attacked and my cousin and I jumped down to help. On one hand, I'm glad I did, because we probably wouldn't have gotten away, but... my parents..." Yuna's voice trailed off.

Tidus did not know how to reply. He just placed his arm around her and his head against hers. "I will do everything I can to make sure those who did this pay."

He looked around the camp. Yuna's uncle Cid, the bald man who commanded the airship, sat a ways away, speaking with some of his crew that left the ship. Rikku lay on a log near the fire, sleeping. App and Trueheart's figures could be seen in the distance, continuing their training of Jakon and Jor. Auron, the ever awake Alpha, stood on the outskirts of the camp, staring off into the distance.

Unknown to Tidus, Auron thought of everything he had gone through to get to where he was. His befriending of a man named Braska, his entanglement with Lilith, and his becoming a Zombie. It was a curse he felt he deserved, yet wished he did not have.

Back at the fire, Tidus sighed as he saw Yuna had fallen asleep. He scooted to the side and set her upon the log they sat on, like Rikku her cousin had been.

 _Those Demons will pay for this..._

. . .

Gruumm stopped the ship. "We have reached the destination, my master, but..."

The girl stood up from the command chair and walked to the front of the room to the glass. She closed her eyes and focused on where the planet should have been. Suddenly, shrieks of terror and dread flew through her. She opened her eyes in shock.

"No..." Lije said. Destitute that she was alone, feeling the terror of her people and the power from the Orb of Doom, she made her way back to her seat.

"Master! What is wrong!?" Gruumm demanded.

Lije curled her lip in anger. "I have been betrayed. I recognize the energy signature that permeates this space that once housed my homeworld. It is one I felt from Lothor's tent back on Earth. He must have been threatened by me and come here to destroy my people! He will pay!" The little girl shrieked, pounding her fists on the command chair.

Gruumm curled a fist in anger. "We will cause Lothor to wish he had never been born! I am setting a course back to Earth now!"

Lije nodded and slumped in her chair. She thought sadly about how she would never fly through space with her people. How she would never descend upon a simple planet with the People of the Dawn again and decimate those people for their world's resources.

At that thought, she sat up. "Wait... Lothor is powerful if he has the power to eradicate my people, and to get past the defenses set up by the High Ones that used to be here. We will need to be prepared."

"What do you mean, Master?" Gruumm asked.

"I am wanting to make a tribute conquer for my people. We had a planet in mind that was to be our next upon my return from my plan to destroy the Morphing Masters and take their power. It is called Ralma. I will go there to amass power to fight Lothor."

Gruumm looked at her in confusion. "How will conquering a people help you defeat Lothor?"

She smiled. "Well, my servant, my people were working on a new weapon that we were going to use to defeat the High Ones themselves! It would need an entire planet's worth of souls to create it. It would be called the Sword of Power."

Gruumm nodded. "Yes, my master. I am setting a course for Ralma now."

"I'm coming for you, Lothor." Lije said, a mix of Red, Orange, and Violet Energy invisibly floating around her.

. . .

Castiel looked to Tessa. "How is Michael?"

"The king is still recuperating, sir." Tessa replied.

Castile nodded. "And you?"

"I have just enrolled into the Reaper program." She said.

"Oh? I did not know it was operational..." Castiel said. He was so absorbed in Michael's crusade to bring back Beelzebub and turn him back into Victor, that he was feeling more and more out of touch with Eden.

Tessa nodded. "D suddenly fast tracked everything. One day it looked as if it wasn't going anywhere, and the next... He was accepting recruits."

"I hope it can slow the increase of Demons in the universe. We were barely able to stand our own against them on Al Bhed." Castiel said.

"I do, too. I will do anything I can to make the universe a safe place again." Tessa said. She looked at her king, asleep on his hospital bed. "Michael was willing to give his life for this cause. I am, too."

Castiel stayed silent. He was unsure of Michael's true intentions, himself. _I hope Michael's reasons are as pure as yours Tessa. For all of our sakes..._

. . .

Regina, Killian, Mythical Master, and the Demons landed on Earth. Beelzebub looked around and nodded. "I remember this place. I came here once, when I first became a Demon. You were with me too, weren't you, Azazel?"

Azazel nodded. "Yes, Beelzebub. A war was occurring with a nation from the East against a group of Dinomen. Shimazu joined our forces from that conflict, I believe."

"Yes... I remember. We have so many of us spread out across the universe. Michael succeeded in at least separating us. It will take quite some time for us to come back together." Beelzebub said.

As Diabolico began to reply, Killian pulled out his sword. A look of fear was on his face. "Everyone brace yourselves!"

"What are you doing!?" Mythical Master demanded.

Before anyone could reply, they turned and looked at what Killian had seen. A man in a dark suit stood a ways away from them. He smiled.

"Hello, Regina. Nice to see you again." The man in the suit, Rumple, said. He coughed and adjusted his tie, waiting for her reply.

She sneered. "Rumple. I'm not here to fight you. I'm here to get Lothor."

As she said that, David and Mary stepped out from the trees beside Rumple. David pointed his sword at Regina. "Why should we let you go? So you can just take his place? No, Regina. This ends here."

"As you can tell, mate, we have reinforcements." Killian said, pointing his blade back at David.

Regina laughed. "And I'm sure you do, too. Who else is here?"

Sensing their presence, Regina turned around to see Emma and Baelfire march out of the forest. Emma gripped her sword's hilt tight. "I've been waiting and training for this, you Witch."

Regina closed her eyes. "Yes... I can feel it..." She then turned her back on them and looked at Rumple. "So... You taught them some Nathadian magic, huh? You think that will stop me!?"

Mythical Master looked at Beelzebub. "We didn't sign on for this... We need to head out."

Beelzebub laughed. "No. If these little people possess the same power, I will stay and fight. I have much to learn from them. Demons!? We stay and fight."

Mythical Master grunted. Things were not going according to his plan, and he was beginning to get frustrated.

From their right, Will and Anastasia stepped out of the woods. Will carried a sword while Anastasia carried some sort of sceptor. Belle approached from the right, a bow and arrow in hand.

"So, this is how it ends, huh?" Regina said, laughing. "A suicide mission? Pathetic." She then snapped her fingers. "Destroy them all."


	30. Part 3 - Chapter 15: Establishing Order

**Chapter Fifteen: Establishing Order**

The force field hummed around the villains as they looked at one another. Lord Zedd breathed in deep as he summoned forth his Z Staff. He looked over each of those who were vying for a chance to be a high ranking officer in Dark Specter's army:

King Mondo. Zedd looked him over and saw him to be some sort of robot. _Should be a pushover._

General Havoc. He was the leader of strategy for the empire of evil space pirates who had allied themselves many years earlier with Dark Specter. Zedd was certain he wasn't going to be a threat.

Impostra. She was a cunning warrior and thief for hire. She was considered deadly and untrustworthy.

Hydro Hog. A former general under Rita, and by extension, Zedd. The war on Aquitar over the two thousand years after he had taken control of that area of the universe had become so advanced that he was given full authority over the project by Dark Specter, branching off and becoming his own force.

Eye Guy. A renowned mercenary who specialized in extracting information from children in a pocket dimension in one of his eyes.

Hatchasaurus. He was known far and wide as an annoying warrior. There were rumors circulating the universe stating he had infinite lives. Zedd wanted to prove the rumors false.

Kamdor. An ancient ninja. Not much was known about him other than his ability to get in and out of situations quickly. He had used his abilities over the past few years to procure treasures for himself.

LizWizard. He was a Magical wizard with the ability to easily dodge attacks by wrapping his tongue around people and then switching places with them. Many "friendly fire" accidents happened whenever he was in the battlefield.

King Sphinx. Former ruler of Egypticus. After he had allied himself with Master Vile during the opening stages of Project White Genesis, he tried establishing his own group to rule over under Vile, but with the departure of Goldar to work exclusively for Rita, he lost any and all support. He hoped he would be able to rekindle his lost reputation by joining Dark Specter. Accompanying King Sphinx was a warrior who had maintained close affiliation with him by the name of Rykon.

Rygog. A large, oddly shaped mutant with brown wrinkly skin and glowing red eyes. He had apparently gone through some sort of accident early on in his life, causing him to require to be enclosed in a life sustaining armor.

Sting King. He was of an alien race of insect-like warriors who worked with a hive mind. He had been recently promoted to king and wanted to prove his kingdom was "up to snuff".

Rounding off those in attendance was the one who Lord Zedd feared and hated the most: Count Dregon. He had gone into a few scraps with him over the past couple of millenniums, but in one way or another, there had never been a definitive winner called between them. Zedd wanted to ensure the ambiguity between who was more powerful would be resolved once and for all.

Unbeknownst to them all, a figure in a cloak stood in the shadows. He watched the scene with apprehension. _This is not good..._

Lizwizard was the first to attack. He rushed toward Rygog and shot his tongue out him before Rygog could barrell into him. As this occurred, King Sphinx began flapping his wings at the two, figuring he would jump in and eliminate one of them with a cheap shot.

"Release the Tengas." Dark Specter ordered Ecliptor. The leader of the proposed new United Alliance had teleported all of the henchman out of the battlefield. To ensure no one had added help, he had trained up his own Tengas to cause chaos for all involved.

As the Tengas poured in, Lizwizard switched places with Rygog. This caused Rygog to fly through the air from King Sphinx's attack. As Lizwizard appeared, however, he felt himself be blasted by Count Dregon. He, himself, slammed into the barrier around the battlefield.

"Welcome to the higher ranks. It doesn't seem like you'll have what it takes to dance with us, though..." Dregon said with a smirk. He then pointed a blaster and shot King Sphinx as he was to hit Rygog with a scepter.

General Havoc then pulled out a blaster himself and shot at King Sphinx from afar. Being more of a strategist, he watched and waited in the background to strike when it was most appropriate.

"Ahh!" Sphinx yelled, falling to the ground. As energy began to crackle over him, Dark Specter teleported him out.

"First casualty: King Sphinx!" Ecliptor declared.

Meanwhile, Kamdor slashed his way through many Tengas, as did other villains in the mix. He spotted Eye Guy dislodge his main eye and laughed. Before anyone could react, Kamdor ninja streaked to the main eye and released an onslaught of damage upon the eye.

Dark Specter focused and teleported Eye Guy out.

"Hey! I wasn't down yet!" Eye Guy argued.

Dark Specter grunted. "Do not argue. Your main eye was being assaulted without any counter. In moments you would have been destroyed."

"Rah!" Zedd screamed. Feathers exploded as he destroyed a group of ten Tenga Warriors with one blast.

As the rain of feathers disappeared, Zedd saw Hydro Hog draining precious liquids from Impostra's body with his dehydration attack. Laughing, Zedd pointed his staff at Hydro Hog and sent him falling to the ground.

Impostra pulled herself up and grunted. Before she could recuperate, Zedd shot a blast at her. As the energy went sailing through the air, Dark Specter teleported her out.

"What!?" Zedd cried out.

"That blast would have destroyed her." Dark Specter said simply.

Sting King shot several hundred "stingers" in a shotgun approach. Several Tengas fell to his power, but the Monster who absorbed the brunt of his attack was Hatchasaurus. Sting King flew away with glee as he saw the beast explode.

 _I was so fast Dark Specter couldn't even save the fool! Before long, I'll be his right hand man! I-_

Before he flew far, he found himself falling to the dirt, the newly resurrected Hatchasaurus pummelling Sting King. What the giant wasp-like insect knew not was that Hatchasaurus was a vessel to a cyborg heart that went by the name Cardiatron. The cyborg's origins were unknown to the universe at large, but rumors stated its background had some connection to Deviot.

"The next to fall is the Sting King!" Ecliptor declared.

Kamdor flipped into the air over Lizwizard. He watched as the lizard's tongue shot out to hit him. He laughed as he allowed the switch to occur.

Lizwizard laughed as he landed. As he did though, he turned around and found himself face to face with King Mondo. Before Lizwizard could retract, he felt Mondo's scepter crash down on him.

"Ahh!" Lizwizard cried out. He dropped to a knee. As he did, Kamdor flew forward and landed upon Lizwizard. He began slashing away at Lizwizard knowing that because he was disposing of a villain he would not be targeted by the others, fighting their way through Tengas to get to each other. Like he had thought, a few moments of uncountered hits caused Lizwizard's disqualification.

As he heard Ecliptor announce the fall of another fighter, a Tenga slammed into Kamdor hard. The ninja leapt up, confused at the force the Tenga seemed to have. The Tenga then laughed as it morphed into Rykon.

"For my king!" Rykon screamed. As she sliced as Kamdor, Lord Zedd blasted both of them. He laughed as Dark Specter teleported them out.

Count Dregon shot several blasts of power from his left gauntlet and another from his blaster. He chuckled as he landed, watching the last of the Tengas evaporate. He stood up and flicked his cape behind him, observing the battlefield. He then focused on his inner powers as Rygog rammed into Hydro Hog. Having spent too much of his energy in previous endeavors throughout the battle, Hydro Hog was knocked out. Most of Hydro Hog's powers had been wasted on King Mondo, the swing not knowing before it was too late that Mondo did not have water within him.

"The newest fallen warrior: Hydro Hog!" Ecliptor declared.

King Mondo decided to take the opportunity to target Rygog at that point. As he did, General Havoc blasted him from the side.

"That will teach you. You had no chance agains-" Havoc couldn't finish, because he was hit from the side by Hatchasaurus.

Mondo stood up and, looking around, saw Hatchasaurus and believed he had been who knocked him over. As Rygog dodged blasts from Lord Zedd and Count Dregon continued to charge in a separate part of the field. Mondo, having a similar fighting style as Hatchasaurus, used pure brawn and went head to head with the Monster. As he did, his communication system inside him by what seemed to be fate synced with Cardiatron within Hatchasaurus.

Tossing Hatchasaurus a ways away from him, Mondo stared at him in confusion. "What is this!? You are a machine!?"

Cardiatron laughed. "I am more than a mere machine. I am the next evolution for life! I am an approximation toward immortality! I am what all living bei-"

"Oh, hush now! I will have no more of this!" Mondo cried out. He then rammed into Hatchasaurus and tossed him out of his way.

As Hatchasaurus stood, he found himself near the then fully charged Count Dregon. Dregon smiled at him. "It has been a few years since I had to pull this card out from my sleeve... Imperial Armor!"

As the armor formed around Dregon, giving him the look Zedd recognized from previous battles, Imperial Dregon shot two blasts at Hatchasaurus. King Mondo then pointed his scepter and shot an EMP at Hatchasaurus to deactivate Cardiatron. Before the pulse hit, however, Dark Specter pulled him from the battle.

Rygog fell to a knee at Zedd's feet. "I... I give up! I cannot do anything to you!"

Zedd laughed. "Yes... you cannot." He then swung his staff and hit Rygog in the face, sending him to his side. He laughed more as Rygog had difficulties attempting to get up, due to his oddly shaped life preserving armor.

"The next warrior to fall: Rygog!" Ecliptor declared.

Imperial Dregon was impressed with Zedd's viciousness. As he made his way to battle his nemesis, he heard Dark Specter roar with laughter.

"You four have impressed me! Now... the final stretch! FIGHT!" He roared.

Dregon looked around to see who had remained: General Havoc, by staying in the shadows and behind rocks, King Monod with his impossible durability, and Lord Zedd, who was the only one who could rival Dregon, in his own opinion.

"I'll eliminate the machine king. You get the simpering general. Then we'll finish this the way it is supposed to be finished." Imperial Dregon said, looking at Zedd who was mere feet away from him. In the background, King Mondo was throwing boulders at General Havoc, trying to get to the slippery villain.

Zedd considered before shaking his head. "Let us work together for now. It will be faster."

"Deal. The general?"

"The general." Zedd replied. He turned on his visor scanner and began combing the area. Within moments, he saw Havoc crouched in a post where he had taken to camping. Zedd could tell he was trying to get a clear sniper shot at King Mondo. Pointing, Zedd motioned for Dregon.

Imperial Dregon and Lord Zedd focused their energies and bombarded the rocky sniper's nest with power. Before he perished, Dark Specter saved General Havoc.

"General Havoc has fallen." Ecliptor said. "The final three: Lord Zedd, Count Dregon, and King Mondo."

"The Count, the Lord, and the King. Makes sense." Master Vile said, looking to Dark Specter. "I'm surprised the general lasted for as long as he did."

"I am not. He is a master strategist. He will be a most valuable asset in the United Alliance of Evil, Master Vile. We will need him for Project Black Genesis." Dark Specter replied.

"Black Genesis... I like it..." Master Vile said, returning his attention to the battle.

"You cannot believe you can defeat me!" King Mondo shouted. With bullheaded arrogance, he hunkered down and charged at Zedd and Dregon.

"Insolent fool..." Dregon said.

"You will be scrap metal soon enough!" Zedd declaredl.

They both took aim and fired. To their surprise, it only slowed Mondo down. Grunting, he kept pushing forward. He was giving it all his mechanical body had, ignoring the overheating warnings. With all his determination, he believed if he could reach Zedd and Dregon, he would be able to topple them in close combat.

Suddenly, King Mondo found himself out of the force field, next to Lizwizard. "What is the meaning of this!?"

"You were overheating. You would not have survived." Dark Specter declared.

"Preposterous! I-"

"Do! Not! Argure!" Dark Specter warned. He shot a lava ball toward King Monod, purposefully not striking him. The ground around Mondo began to melt.

 _Fine... I will use this alliance for now, but soon the time will come when I will branch out. My Machine Empire will reign supreme!_ Mondo thought bitterly.

"And so it is down to us, my old rival. I was actually on my way to see you, anyway. I did not appreciate your interference on Edenoi recently." Imperial Dregon said.

Zedd cackled. "Oh, yes... Did you not like my Putties? Good. I hope they ruined everything you had in play."

Red Energy orbs formed from Imperial Dregon's hands. "I will beat you, Zedd."

In a similar fashion, Lord Zedd began glowing with Red Energy. He pointed his staff at Imperial Dregon. "Bring it on."

With an explosion of energy, their red beams hit each other. In a show of strength, they began pouring more of themselves into the blast, hoping to cause both streams to combine and force it to their respective enemy.

The hooded figure nodded to himself. _This is what I've been waiting for. My chance to destroy Dark Specter. That should be enough energy..._

The mysterious man stepped slowly closer to the bubble. Red light began to emanate around him. Like wispy ribbons in the wind, the red light flew from the hooded figure and easily permeated the bubble. Suddenly speeding up, it mixed with the orb of energy forming between Imperial Dregon and Lord Zedd. Before anyone could react, the red light mixed with the Red Energies and took control over them. It then shot out of the force field, deactivating it, and headed straight toward Dark Specter.

"My master!" Ecliptor yelled. He shot a volley of pure power at the attack. It was enough to power it down enough that Dark Specter could eliminate it with his own Black Energy blast.

"No..." The figure said. Before he could be chased, he turned and ran back into the shadows. He knew his time on Onxy was short, for he needed to ensure Zordon was okay on Earth. He was aware that Bansheera was approaching soon, and that Zordon would need all the help he could get.

Dark Specter jumped down to Zedd and Dregon. "Who did that!? Did you catch a glimpse!?"

Dregon looked coldly at him. "No. All I know is that whoever it was... they ruined my chance to get even with Zedd and battle you."

"Oh, really!? I'm fairly certain it would have been _me_ to challenge the Dark Specter!" Zedd declared.

Dark Specter looked at them both in irritation. He then picked them up by their necks and lifted the off the ground. "None of you would have been able to stand up to me. I am your master from here on out, and none of you will beat me." He then blasted both of them to the ground.

"Understood..." Dregon muttered.

Zedd was silent, but humbled. _Mark my words, Dark Specter. Long after you are gone, Lord Zedd will still be striking those who stand his way..._

"Ecliptor!? We need to find out who tried to assassinate me. Return to the Dark Fortress while I finish preparations here with my new soldiers." Dark Specter ordered.

"Yes, master." Ecliptor said. He was ready to discover the identity of the man who had nearly defeated Dark Specter before Project Black Genesis could begin.

. . .

Meledon Ranger jumped over Bio Mech Red, planting his foot on his right trapezius and leapt into Bio Mech Black. They both grappled each other and rolled onto the ground. The Black Ranger ended up getting on top of Meledon, straddling him. He then began swinging his fists and punching Meledon in the helmet, neck, and all other parts of his upper body.

"Give me back my life!" Bio Black screamed, pure Rage emanating from his mouth.

"Snap out of it, Burai!" Meledon screamed. Gathering strength, he blocked a punch and pushed Bio Black off of him. He jumped up and saw High Ones, Rangers, and warriors from the Animal Realm all about, fighting the Bio Mech Rangers, Phantom Beast Warriors, and Phantom Beast Generals.

"This is the end of you!" Bio Red screamed. He charged up both of his fists with Morphing Energy and lunged at Meledon, he rolled to the side to duck the attack.

As Meledon Ranger began to scan Bio Red, Dai Shi and Octomus watched from the Magic Realm.

"I believe more chaos on that city would be good to distract from Camille, don't you think?" Dai Shi said.

"Necrolai!?"

"Yes, Master?" The Vampire said, walking into the room.

"I want you and a squadron of Hidiacs and Rinshi to go to that island city and destroy it. Do what you can to take out the Power Rangers as well." Octomus ordered.

Back on Atlantis, Meledon Ranger flew back as he was hit simultaneously by Bio Black and Red.

"Oof!" He cried out. He grabbed his chest and dropped to a knee.

"Let's finish him once and for all..." Bio Black said.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared over the scene. "Ahh!"

"Huh?" Bio Red asked before sparks exploded from his suit. Bio Black fell in the same manner.

Meledon Ranger looked up and saw a caped person standing before him. "Magnus?"

"Yes, it is I, Zordon. We have come to help. Thank you for finding the root that drove away the clay warriors from our planets." Magna Defender said, turning back to the Bio Mech Rangers. "And as for you two... Prepare to meet your doom by my blade."

Meledon smiled as he pulled himself up. He restarted his scan as Magna Defender slashed at the Bio Mech Rangers. Nathadian Magic shot out from him and enveloped Bio Red. He wasn't surprised to find that he, too, was a cyborg. Meledon was fairly certain the entire team was comprised of cyborgs after that scan.

A haunting image then flashed in his mind. "Commander Rahp?" He asked.

Bio Red shrieked in anger... not knowing why he was so angry. "How dare you use my name!" He tried to make his way to Meledon but was hit by a red streak.

"Red Aquitar Ranger reporting for duty! Hiyah!" He said, grabbing the blade attached to his back.

Then, another terrifying thought passed Meledon's mind. His Nathadian powers gave him the answer to at least stop the rangers. He feared what it would mean for their survival, though...

"Lightning Cruiser!?" Meledon screamed. "Lightning Cruiser!?"

As Meledon Ranger looked for Lightning Cruiser, the Gaia Rangers stared at Marvelous in fear.

"Please... not again! Gaia Pink screamed, tears pouring from her eyes.

Suddenly, Marvelous' eyes changed back to normal. The pain in his body subsided and he pulled himself up. "Guys... What is happening to me?"

Before they could answer, Scorch appeared before them. "Whoever you colorful warriors are, prepare to feel my power!"

"Change card! Sky Armor!" Marvelous yelled, running at Scorch. He was grateful for the interruption. _Anything to distract from what is happening to me..._

The Gaia Rangers looked at each other. Although they could not see each other's reactions, they all knew what they were thinking. They were all very worried for their "captain".

As they ran forward to fight Scorch, Bansheera's ship appeared over the city.

"Deviot has done quite a great job... Jinxer? I see those care wielding rangers down there. Show them how you _truly_ use a card... the Demon way."

Jinxer nodded and left the room. Bansheera then turned to Vypra, Diabolico, and Loki(D). "Let us go down now and find the Greatest Treasure. I will use my powers to determine where it is."

On Atlantis, Gaia Black laughed as he punched Scorch in the face. "Epicness! I love being a ranger!"

Gaia Blue laughed. "After all of these years, you still act like being a ranger is a new thing to you."

"Ahhh!" Scorch screamed. He shot a beam of fire at Gaia Yellow.

"Missed me, big guy!" She screamed. She ducked out of the way, leaving a flame in the middle of the spot where she had been.

"Let's use our Power Cards, guys." Gaia Pink ordered. As they lined up to do so, Jinxer appeared in between the Monster and the rangers.

"Hello! You think you rangers have power? Watch this, then!" Jinxer cried out. Before they could react, he threw several Power Cards into the fire left behind by Scorch.

"Until next time!" Scorch screamed. He turned and ran into the city to meet with the other Phantom Beast Generals.

"Demonic powers of fright: Bring these Demons to me to fight!" Jinxer screamed.

"Those were Power Cards!" Gaia Green cried out in shock.

"Impossible..." Gaia Pink said. "He's using a different power than ours to power those cards."

From the flames, several Demons walked out: Ghouligan, Fireor, Trifire, and Shockatron. Jinxer cackled and pointed at the rangers. "You haven't yet learned the power behind these cards! My Demon Cards will beat your Power Cards everytime! Ah-hahaha! Attack them!"

Gaia Black popped his neck. "Oh, yeah! Let's do this enthusiastically!" He then rushed off to fight the Demons.

Gaia Blue nodded. "Six on four... five if you count the funny, fly guy. Good odds." He then rushed after Gaia Black.

"Let's be showy, guys." Gaia Red said, trying to act normally. He cranked his right arm, summoning his sword and sprinting ahead to fight the Demons.

"Right here, master!" Lightning Cruiser said, spotting Meledon Ranger and descending.

"I need you to get out of here quickly." Meledon Ranger said. "Take Storm Blaster with you."

"But why?"

"Just trust me. Hopefully we will meet again, old friend."

"Vwomp-vwomp (Until next time!)" Lightning Cruiser declared. He flew off, in pursuit of his blue colored brother.

As Meledon watched Lightning Cruiser find Storm Blaster and fly off, Meledon saw a horrifying sight come in from the west: Necrolai and a large army of Rinshi and Hidiacs. They poured out from a rip in the reality wall between Earth's main plane and the Magic Realm. They ran out like ants and began swarming the entire island of Atlantis. Necrolai laughed as she stood in their midst.

"Leave my home!" Thor screamed. He landed in front of the armada and began swinging. He grunted as he saw more and more come forth, produced by Dai Shi and Octomus specifically for this battle.

 _I need to give King Neptune and the rest of my people time to activate the protection for the artifact the Sentinel Knight gave us to protect..._ Thor thought as he continued to swing.

"Need some help, brother?" Loki asked, appearing behind him.

"Burying the hatchet, Loki?" Thor asked in response.

"For the fate of the universe... yes. For now." He winked and produced his staff, shooting blasts of power to help ease the burden on the mighty Thor.

Meledon Ranger leapt over fires and crumbling columns. As he did, he found himself surrounded by many fighters: the Gold Ranger; the Space Rangers of the Karovan System; the rest of the Aquitar Rangers; the Gaia Rangers fighting a group of Demons; a small group of Animal Realm fighters taking on all of the Phantom Beast Warriors; Magna Defender rushing to Robo Knight; and a group of Phantom Beast Generals doing what they could to survive against the Beast Watch Rangers, who Meledon knew nothing about.

"Trinity!? Where are you!?" Meledon screamed. He wanted to ensure she was okay before he continued with his plans.

He heard Deviot laughing. He turned to see him and stopped dead in his tracks. Tied up, gagged, and demorphed was Trinity.

"It's a shame Tria isn't with us anymore. It would have made for a nice reunion from the good old days, eh, Zordon?" Deviot said as he morphed into his preferred Human form, Estro. Six Bio Mech Rangers walked up, taking their place behind their "mentor". Bio Mech Silver was still battling in the main plaza.

"Let her go, Deviot." Meledon said. Red Energy floated around him.

Estro laughed. "Oh, you silly Wizard. I've been involved in every major conflict that has gone on for millions of years. I am the product of the Mother of all Monsters, and I'm the one who will pass on her legacy long after all of you ants are gone. Monsters will rule the universe. And cyborgs. Did I not mention them before? Yes... I am going to use each and every one of you fools in my experiments to create my loyal servants!"

Meledon clenched his fist. Only slightly surprised at the identities of those who comprised his evil ranger team, Meledon said, "Rahp... Filcar... Guys! Come on! You were the Alliance Power Rangers! Priscilla! General Risp! Lieutenant Talp! Snap out of it! Burai, my old friend! Please!"

"We follow Master Deviot until the end!" Bio Pink said, laughing.

"We were never friends, Zordon." Bio Black replied.

Estro pointed at Meledon. "Now, tell me where Sentinel Knight has hidden the Corona Aurora!"

"Is that why you're here!? I had no idea Sentinel Knight was hiding something here! Now let go of my wife!" Meledon screamed.

"Temper, temper, old timer. You need to watch your blood pressure." Estro said whimsically. He then walked to Trinity and licked her on the cheek.

 _I'm sorry guys..._ Meledon thought. He needed to save his wife, and he could not think of another way without doing what he had been dreading.

"Nathadian EMP Blast!" Meledon Ranger cried out. He watched as blast erupted from him and flew toward the Bio Mech Rangers. He knew it was going to deactivate whatever was keeping them alive. He knew he needed to, though, for Trinity's sake.

"Nathadian Cancelation!"

"What!?" Meledon Ranger said. He looked up and saw someone in a brown hooded cloak leap over him, landing in between the Bio Mech Team and Meledon. "Who are you!? What have you done!?"

He sighed. "I saved you from making a large mistake... You escalated the battle and would have forfeited your powers for a very long time."

"This is between me and Zordon! Leave!" Estro screamed, pointing wildly at the hooded man.

"I know. That's why I'm here. No one messes with Zordon of Eltar." The hooded man said. He then performed a backflip and landed on a balcony above Meledon Ranger.

Meledon turned around and looked at the hooded figure. He attempted a scan but could come up with nothing. Future: Omega Ranger also attempted scanning the individual with the Time Force cameras that had recorded the incident, but they seemed to be jammed from executing the action. Even his Third Eye ability could not break through. The only thing both the Future: Omega Ranger and Meledon Ranger knew was that the hooded figure was using Nathadian Magic.

Meledon Ranger looked and noticed what the others had already seen: a red light was glowing from the figure's chest. Meledon did not know what the man's intentions were.

"Deviot... You have messed with the wrong man. It is time for you to face judgments for your crimes. Ancient source: Nathadian source!"

Black Morphing Energy and Red Nathadian Magic mixed into the mysterious figure. The man threw off his cloak and revealed his ranger suit.

"Force for justice: Nathadian Ranger!"

This new ranger was decked out in what appeared to be full black battle armor. Silver tubes were seen all around his suit. He wore a durable looking, sleek helmet. A rock that appeared to be a glowing red ruby sat on his chest.

"Phantom Ranger!?" Future: Omega Ranger cried out.

Sophie's voice emanated through his helmet. "You're right... What!? How is that possible!?"

"One of the most mysterious rangers in history... I had no idea he was that old." Future: Omega said.

Focusing back on the file, Omega watched as the one he knew as Phantom Ranger, really the Nathadian Ranger, leapt from the balcony and run toward Estro.

"Stand back, Zordon. Please." He cried out.

"Not a chance!" Meledon screamed. Before a moment could pass, both Nathadian and Meledon Rangers were fighting side by side, taking down the Bio Mech Rangers.

"Silver!" Estro screamed into a remote. Before long, Bio Mech Silver appeared before Estro. "Take me and Trinity out of here!"

Silver nodded. He pushed a button on his forearm and the three were encircled with teleportation energy.

"Noooo!" Nathadian Ranger screamed. He jumped over Bio Black and shot a blast at Trinity. She disappeared momentarily and reappeared, missing the teleportation. As that occurred, Bio Black tackled Nathadian Ranger from behind.

"Burai! Get off of me!" Nathadian Ranger screamed. He punched him and rolled away. "Overdrive!"

A red shockwave emanated from Nathadian Ranger, hitting the Bio Mech Rangers. The rangers all fell to the floor, unconscious. He then turned to Meledon. "Listen, Zordon. Even then, when it was appropriate, I only used a sort of 'stun' on these guys. Be very careful. As of now, you aren't as strong as you should be because you haven't been following the Meledon code, like Dulcea told you to two thousand years ago."

Meledon Ranger, having rushed to Trinity's side, looked at Nathadian Ranger. "Who are you!? How do you know all of us?"

Having the gag taken off her mouth, Trinity smiled. "I think Zordon means 'thank you'."

Nathadian Ranger laughed and stood there for a moment, awkwardly staring at the two in silence for a moment. "...You're welcome. Uh... Okay, well... Until we meet again."

"Wait!" Meledon screamed. Before he could react, a stealth cloak appeared over Nathadian Ranger, helping him blend almost seamlessly with the environment. The waves caused by the fires around made it impossible to find him after that.

Trinity stood up. "I hope we see him again."

"I have a feeling we will..." Meledon Ranger said. He then looked at the fallen Bio Mech Rangers. "Let's collect these guys and-"

Before he could finish, the bodies were teleported back to Deviot's ship.

Meledon grunted in frustration. "No... Burai..."

Trinity hugged Meledon Ranger. "We'll get him back. Don't worry."

Suddenly, Thor appeared. "Master Zordon. You need to leave here immediately. King Neptune has activated our city's self destruct sequence."

"Is this for whatever Sentinel Knight is hiding here?" Trinity asked.

Thor nodded. "The city will sink and will be lost, but it will be safe. Hopefully we can take down some of these fiends with it."

Within a matter of moments, Trinity morphed and she and Meledon found themselves on Magna Defender's friend, Toro. From afar, alongside the other fighters from what was to be known in legend as the Great Battle for Atlantis, they watched the city sink.

From another direction, the unbeaten Phantom Beasts watched. Scorch scoffed. "I'm sure with so many fighters, this isn't the only powerful city on the planet. Let us continue our search."

Back on Bansheera's ship, Jinxer called to his queen on the planet. "The distraction is over. Please, my queen, be prepared to hide if needs be."

Bansheera laughed. "I can feel the Greatest Treasure, Jinxer. It should be in my hands soon. We'll be on it soon!"

Jinxer then switched his ship's cameras to the Resistance floating outside the area where Atlantis once was. He knew not what they were saying, but knew they were getting ready to head back to the mainland. He then gasped as he saw something on his ship's radar.

"The Dark Fortress!? Here!? Oh, no..." Jinxer said. He knew the presence of the Dark Fortress meant only one thing: Dark Specter was coming to Earth.

. . .

September dodged several shots of Black Energy from Cronos. "Please! I need to get back to the universe I was just at. The fate of the multiverse rests on it!"

Cronos laughed. "The fate of my love once rested in my hands, yet I was unable to protect her. We were going to be together forever, you see... We were trying to save the universe, as well! But, if I cannot have her, no one can!"

September narrowed his eyes. "I am sorry. I can see you have been through much. Perhaps we can get out together!?"

"Lies from Auron! You have been sent here to mock me!" Cronos screamed. A blast erupted from the watch/monocle he wore on his eye.

With his heightened reflexes and brain, September acted quickly. He extended a hand and tapped into the power the Time Magic blast contained. Within moments, instead of crushing him from the inside out, as intended, the blast enveloped him in Time Magic.

"What!? Impossible!" Cronos screamed. He knew not how September was able to do what he had done, but within moments he was gone.

"I will figure out how you did that. And when I do... I will go back and find Auron and force him to reunite me with my love!" Cronos said, a new vigor to do more than exist instilled in him. He roared in anger, Time Magic floating around him.

. . .

Having done the best he could, Omega Ranger had been able to place a "bookmark" on "Phantom" Ranger. He was shocked at how fast he moved through the universe. Within minutes, the Nathadian Ranger's ship had traveled from Earth to the other side of the universe to Eden.

Back in his cloak, Nathadian Ranger made his way to a rocky enclave. Looking down, he saw many Ethereals congregated around their King, Michael. Castiel and D stood by him on either side.

"It is time, my people!" Michael proclaimed. "We are now to start preparing for our descent! We are going to go and finish what has been prophesied of old! The Holy War!"

Castiel and D exchanged looks. They knew not the exact purpose of the meeting, but they had their sneaking suspicions that it would involve the Holy War.

Nathadian Ranger pulled out what appeared to be a tiny, cylinder shaped device. It was smaller than his palm. He placed it up to his hood, to speak into it. "So far, what we have been able to calculate is coming to pass. Michael still believes in the Holy War and will most likely execute. The Freelancer, D, is finishing his back up plan on the off chance Michael grows corrupt. As of now, though, I have no idea what will happen next."

A voice came from the other end. "Okay. Stay in touch. We will contact you as soon as we can give you more appropriate coordinates. Stay alert, as well. The Watcher known as December has stopped investigating the Ghost of Darkness and has caught on that you may be around."

"Is he not chasing after September?" Nathadian Ranger asked.

"No. September warped out of the universe. We can only hope that he did not end up in the Nothingness." The voice said.

"Okay. I will stay in touch. Let me know when I need to return. Until next time, Guardian."


	31. Part 0 - Chapter 16: Code of Honor

**Chapter Sixteen: Code of Honor**

Against the backdrop of the night sky, App watched as Jor and Jakon went through the motions of their training. App could feel the Spirit of Ninja flowing through the two.

"Jakon. Step forward." App ordered.

"Yes, master." Jakon said.

"Unleash your power." App requested.

"Hi-yah!" Jakon screamed. Red Ninja Energy surrounded him from his own Spirit. The translucent armor appeared over him.

"Jor!" Trueheart said. "Follow suit!"

Jor ran promptly to stand beside his brother. "Yes, sir!" He focused and within moments, the battle armor wrapped itself around Jor, as well.

"Attack!" App demanded.

Jor looked at App in surprise. Jakon, however, did not hesitate. He lunged forward slammed into Jor. He then leapt off and performed a midair backflip, landing a few feet away from Jor.

Jor threw himself onto his feet and shot several bursts of Ninja power at Jakon. As Jakon blocked each one, Jor tapped onto the Morphing Grid by instinct. He unleashed a tidal wave of Blue Morphing Energy from himself. It washed over Jakon, toppling him.

"We are at a draw." App said. "First to two take downs wins."

At that, both brothers stopped and stared at App. He had never allowed them to go best two of three. Not since Jakon had caught up to Jor's technique level. It had always been a one to one end to their duel total.

Jor jumped up and began spinning. He quickly became a blue tornado of Ninja and Morphing Energy.

Jakon tapped into his inner Spirit and channeled as much energy as he could. He then plunged into the ground, burrowing beneath Jor. Jakon then began shooting Ninja Energy up through the ground in sprays, like geyser shots. His blasts erupted from the ground and began mixing with the tornado that Jor was in the center of.

"Huh?" Jor said aloud. He could feel his tornado becoming unstable. Within moments, it disappeared from around him. As it did, Jakon reached through the ground and grabbed Jor by his armor ' s ankles. He pulled hard and caused Jor to fall face first onto the ground.

App and Trueheart exchanged looks of surprise. "Duel winner: Jakon."

"Wow! That was sweet, man!" Jor exclaimed. "How did you do that!?"

"I kept adding mass to your tornado until it had too much to support itself. Brains over brawn, little brother." Jakon said, proud of himself.

App nodded. "You have both grown so much. I allowed this duel to show you that we are upping the stakes. We no longer train to Lothor's schedule. We train because we wish to defend the galaxy from whatever horror he has In store. From here on out, I will train you in the art of the Samurai, to increase your powers and add to that Ninja power you have learned."

Jakon looked at App and Trueheart and nodded. "With more power, we will certainly be a threat to those who stand in our way."

"Yes. Now go get rested up." Trueheart said. "Tomorrow will be a long day for you both, from what App has explained to me. You will need to be at your best."

App nodded. "Until tomorrow, my pupils."

. . .

Dai Shi, awakening from his fall induced sleep, looked around. "Where are we?" The place in which he found himself seemed to be cylindrical. The curved walls that formed a tube around them was formed of a grey rock. The whole place looked very drab and dark.

Octomus had been awake for some time. The pain from his mutations had subsided partially, but he could still feel that the spell Master Xandred had placed on his portal was doing something inside of him. Something he liked.

He turned and looked at Dai Shi. "We appear to be in another dimension. I have cast some spells and everything feels different here. I suppose this dimension is closely attached to the main one from Earth. I walked to the surface here and it appears to be the same as Earth's main surface. This place seems to be this world's version of where the Sanzu River was stored, but I see no evidence of Lifestream in this dimension. It seems as if the laws of physics are different here."

"Now what? Are we stuck?" Dai Shi asked.

Octomus laughed. "No, we are not. But... We could always use this dimension as our base of operatons..."

Dai Shi nodded and smiled. "Excellent. We can slip in and out of Lothor's city and he won't be able to stop us!"

Octomus nodded. "Not only that, but I found myself an assistant. I captured him from the wild and brought him here. I used the brain washing machine of Zen Aku's on him."

"How did you get it from that big red guy? Didn't we leave it in his 'Netherworld'?" Dai Shi asked.

"No. I had Itassis bring it with her before we stormed the Great City." Octomus explained. He then snapped his fingers. From behind a rocky formation, a great red Beast walked out. He appeared almost Human, but he had a distorted and stretched face. He also had black horns that projected out his skull. He was very tall, and very muscular.

"Ah!" Dai Shi screamed, walking back from the creature.

"Relax. This is Tycon. He is a predator in this dimension, and he now works for us."

Tycon bowed. "Anything for the Master."

"The Master?" Dai Shi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I think it befits me." Octomus replied.

"Where are the Ten Terrors, by the way?" Dai Shi asked.

Tycon answered. "I placed them under us, to create a palace for the Master. They are in a subterranean area."

"And as they prepare things for us, so must we prepare ourselves for our next attempt at the Greatest Treasure." Octomus said, laughing.

"I will not rest until it is yours, Master." Tycon said, bowing again.

. . .

Zen Aku looked at Lokar. "Okay. I have set the specifications on the device. If all goes well, it will suck out the Werewolf part of me into this separate device here." He pointed to a plastic pad. "We can then eliminate it as we wish."

As Zen Aku attached the wires to the plastic pad and also to himself, Lokar looked at the device. Although he wasn't of the mind to be able to create such magnificent devices, he definitely knew how to operate them. He looked at the specs on the machine and saw how it would zero in on the Werewolf "entity" within Zen Aku.

 _Let's just do a slight readjustment..._ Lokar thought to himself, turning the dial. According to what he understood, he had set the device to also capture a thing which Zen Aku said he only wanted to see was possible: fee will. Lokar grinned, thinking of how Zen Aku would regret his curiosity in programming his machine to be able to accomplish such a feat.

Lying on his back on the dirt, the only light being the Moon and the stars, Zen Aku turned to Lokar. "Ready?"

Lokar nodded. He then turned the machine on.

"Ah! Uh... Lokar! Something is wrong!"

"No... Everything is exactly the way I want it..."

After a few moments of horror and screams, Zen Aku lay calmly on his back. Lokar looked in amazement as the plastic pad changed its composition and shape. Neither Lokar nor Zen Aku knew that if a being's free will were taken by the device, it would have an influence on the target it was being sent to. So, for no other reason than it being the last memory that flashed before Zen Aku's eyes as his inner being was ripped from its body, the plastic pad took the shape of a mask, because Zen Aku had remembered what Lokar had told him had occurred to Shimazu in the Great City.

"Hmm... Curious..." Lokar said. As he went to grab the mask, it vanished. "Huh?"

Emotionless, Zen Aku sat up and turned to give a hollow state to Lokar. The look left Lokar's spine chilled. "The device is programmed to teleport the pad back to my lab. It worked."

"Umm... So, we need to focus on the next pl-" Lokar began.

"Yes. We need to find a way to get back into the Great City. Ultimate power resides within those walls." Zen Aku said, now governed only by the carnal instincts to get ahead and survive as long as possible. He knew he would need to use Lokar in his schemes, so he decided to let him live for the time being. "I have a plan to amass power to fight our way into the Great City."

Lokar was taken aback. "O... okay. What is it?"

"It was an idea of an old associate of mine that I nixed because of standards I used to have. It was a gem that would harness Lifestream power itself. That is, the energy that courses through every living thing in the universe." Zen Aku explained. As he did, he bent over and looked at himself in the reflection of his device's metallic surface.

"Fantastic! What is it called?"

Zen Aku grunted, disgusted with how he looked. Tapping into the Morphing Grid, he snapped his fingers and caused his beard to vanish. He also changed his clothes to match Lokar's. He thought the business look suited him better. He reached into his new suit pocket and put on a pair of Dark glasses, to ensure no one was ever sure to where he was looking. Lokar stared in shock at the power Zen Aku had, of which he had no idea.

Zen Aku then answered him by saying, "The Gem of Souls. And also... don't call me Zen Aku anymore. I have evolved past that. From now on, call me simply Zen.

. . .

Lothor and Ivicar casually made their way through the forest. They hadn't been walking long before Lothor had caught on to the "scent" the Corona Aurora had given off.

"This way, Ivicar. I-"

"Well, well. If it isn't Lothor. Nice to see you again." Vexacus said, dropping down from the skies.

"Ah... Fishhead. What a surprise..." Lothor said. "If you would excuse us, I-"

Vexacus drew his blade. "My revenge comes now, Lothor!"

Lothor sighed. "Ivicar? Could you please be a dear and fetch the shards from Tidus? Don't let them know you are working for me, because I need you to keep your cover. I'm a bit preoccupied at the moment. I'm going to be making sushi for dinner..."

Ivicar nodded and began to run away from what he knew would be an intense fight. As he did, two figures watched from the shadows.

"Alright, brother. We follow the guy who just ran off." Moltor said.

"Precisely. He will lead us straight to the treasure!" Flurious said. He giggled as he thought of how easy it would be, now that everyone was distracted. Soon, Moltor and Flurious would have all the money and parties they ever wanted.

. . .

On Ralma, Lije laughed. People ran screamed in fear before her. "That is right! The people of the Dawn live on through me! And, through your Spirits they will be avenged!"

The city's defenses, Silver robotic orbs, began shooting lasers at the young girl. She laughed as she waved her hand, deactivating the weapon system. Suddenly, the planet's main form of defense, a gift given by the people of Egypticus, began shooting at Lije as well. These were inverted pyramids with massive fire power.

Lije caused a purple bubble to form around her. She then sneered and shot several psychic blasts at them, causing them to power down as well. The city's most powerful sentinels floated above the city, lifeless, almost as if they were omens of Lije's intentions for the planet.

"Over here!" Gruumm screamed.

Lije made her way to Gruumm. He stood beforea statue holding a sword. "Excellent, Gruumm. You found the Legendary Sword of Ralma. Passed down from King to king until the monarchy system failed, it is a symbol of power for these people. Now? I will do what my people intended for me to do."

Gruumm watched as purple wisps erupted from Lije and wrapped themselves around the sword. "What is happening!?"

"Soon... The sword's Magic will mix with my psychic powers. Then I will use its attachment to the people of this planet to take away their Spirits... just like my people had planned to do." A tear then formed in her eye. "For the Dawn!"

Meanwhile on Eden, Tessa the Ethereal looked over the devices that she was training on to learn to be a Reaper. She furrowed her brow and asked for D to look. "What does this mean? It is coming from the planet Ralma."

D sneered. "Someone is taking spurts out of people. It may be a Demon thing. Go with Castiel mow and-"

"I am going, too." Michael said, entering the training room.

Castiel, who had been overseeing the training, shook his head. "My king. The people need you here. They-"

"Silence! I am king. No one refuses my order. I fear if this is as serious as it sounds, Victo... Beelzebub is using the Corona Aurora to suck out Spirits. I must stop him. Castiel? Tessa? Let us go." Michael said.

As they left, D ensured no one else was in the room watching, or in the balcony above listening, as Michael had been. He pulled out his wrist tech and spoke into it. "Although it is difficult, I have calculated that King Michael is heading to his destruction. We should be fine to route energy unaffected for the benefit of the Traveler."

Meanwhile, in space, the three Ethereals soared through the cosmos majestically. They were side by side, flying rather quickly. It wouldn't be long before they reached Ralma.

"No..." Michael said. "I can feel him. He is on Earth."

"What about Ralma?" Tessa asked.

Michael shook his head. "This is more important. Beelzebub is more dangerous. Follow me now!"

As Michael and Tessa began to fly toward Earth, Castile frowned. _Is it because Beelzebub IA more of a threat... or because you care more about him than those poor souls on Ralma?_ He then turned and followed his king, being the obedient counselor he was.

. . .

Rumple cast a bolt of Nathadian Lightning at Regina. She smirked and tossed it away from her, directing it to Emma.

"Emma!" Baelfire screamed. Before he could get to her, the attack hit Emma, yet did nothing.

"What!?" Regina screamed. "Impossible!"

Emma, just as stunned, quickly composed herself. "It looks like you're not the only one with some tricks, Regina." She then focused and shot a blast at Regina, but it sizzle before even approaching her.

Regina laughed. "It looks like potential is not fruition, my dear." She then shot a blast at Baelfire, who narrowly avoided it.

"Oof!" Belle cried out as Baelfire knocked into her. It was a fortunate meeting, though, as it took her out of the way of Diabolico's attack.

Diabolico roared in frustration. "No! Beelzebub! We need to regroup. There are too many of these worms running about and we are being spread too thin!"

 _Hmm... Maybe I should appoint Diabolico as the Demon leader once I take them to my universe..._ Mythical Master thought as he dodged a Nathadian spell from David. His wife covered his blind spot as he tried to take out Mythical Master.

"No!" Mary screamed. In a matter of moments, Goresakubo had tackled Mary and stood over her, ready to strike.

David turned and screamed. "Mary!"

As he did, Mythical Master shot a blast at him, hitting his leg with much fury. David fell to the ground, reaching out for Mary.

Goresakubo laughed. "Give it up, Human! Soon, she will be one of us! A Demon!"

Azazel overheard as he traded blows and parried attacks with Will and Anastasia. "Do it! Add her to our ranks!"

Beelzebub laughed as he dodged a shot from Rumple. "It appears as if your merry little band is out of luck."

Rumple sneered as he shot another blast at Beelzebub. "We have all been through too much to fall here. You won't tear us down!"

Killian watched as he stood beside Regina. "Regina, Love. Turn Mary into a Demon? Isn't this going too far?"

Regina sneered. "No! She, more than anyone else, deserves this!"

"Please! Take me instead!" David pleaded.

Azazel threw Anastasia into Will and flew toward Goresakubo. "Wait, my Brother. He may have a point."

Loki(D) rolled away from Baelfire and looked at Azazel. "Yes! I can feel his spirt is strong."

"Don't you lay a finger on either of them!" Emma screamed, attempting another spell on Regina that ultimately failed.

Azazel walked to David and laughed. "Yes... You have the Spirit of the Dragon. You will do much better than the woman... Do you give yourself to us?"

Gasping for breath, Mary screamed, "David! No!"

"Dad!" Emma cried out as Regina ran up and punched her in the face, sending her flying to her back.

"... Only if you let the rest of my friends go." David said.

"Deal!" Beelzebub screamed. Red mist flew out from him and hit David.

"Noooo!" Mary and Emma screamed together.

"Oh, yes..." Regina said, laughing triumphantly.

Beelzebub shot another blast at David. "In the end you'll thank us, but for now I take your memories, to dull the pain of separation." He then snapped his fingers and teleported away, taking Mythical Master, Regina, Killian, his followers, and the mutating David with him.

"No-oh-oh!" Mary sobbed. They could all hear the pain in her cries.

"Dad! Dad!" Emma screamed, looking everywhere desperately.

Rumple fell to his knees. "No... I failed everyone again... No..."

In space, Regina screamed at Beelzebub. "Why did you do that!?"

"Rules I am forced to live by. Once I make a deal I must honor it. If you wish to return, then by all means..." Beelzebub said. "But remember: we have _our_ deal, or what is happening to him will happen to you."

Regina looked over at David. She saw him in a fetal position next to Azazel and Goresakubo. He was breathing hard. Then, suddenly, he was breathing no more.

"Is he...?" Killian asked.

"Yes." Regina said, success ringing through her voice. "He is gone."

David then stood up. He turned around and faced them, his eyes black. Before anyone could react, though, his Animal Spirit covered his body, to protect what was left of his fragile heart, for the heart doesn't forget too easily.

"What is your name, Demon?" Diabolico asked.

"The Almighty Dragon." David said simply.

"We will call you AM Dragon for short, then." Azazel stated simply.

AM Dragon then pulled out his dragoon lance. "I feel something powerful approaching."

Beelzebub stopped and looked up. Three glowing lights were making their way toward Earth with great speed.

"You are already showing your value, my Demon." Beelzebub said to AM Dragon. "Everyone get in position. We have visitors coming..." Beelzebub then braced himself to meet up with his brother, Michael. He was ready to destroy Michael once, and for all.


	32. Part 3 - Chapter 16: The Anarchists

**Chapter Sixteen: The Anarchists**

Aboard the ship the Sorcerer of the Sands and Delu rode in, Meledon Ranger stood before the Gaia Rangers. He heard what they had to say about how they had been rescued from "Demonhood" by the Power Cards of the Sorcerer and had been wiped clean. They also explained how Marvelous seemed to be having some sort of adverse reaction. Marvelous further showed Meledon Ranger the scar on his hand that was created when he tried using a Power Card unmorphed.

Meledon Ranger folded his arms, deep in thought. "Let me scan you to see if I can see anything then..."

Marvelous suddenly found himself surrounded by white light. He looked at Meledon Ranger, who was scanning him. He began losing his breath and was on the brink of fainting as the scan occurred.

Meledon stopped the scan and looked as Captain Marvelous began to recover. "Hmm... I feel a strong Demonic presence within you, Marvelous, but... I don't understand how it is still there. You have a lot of White Energy inside of you, and that is the part of the Emotional Spectrum that corresponds to Life. Demonic powers come from Black Energy, or Death. I... I just don't know. Plus, it seemed you were able to feel me scanning you. Something isn't right."

Luka laughed. "We _know_ that. We thought you could tell us what."

Meledon sighed. "I fear if I continue my scan, I could hurt him."

"I don't care. I need to be cured." Marvelous said. "Please, Master Zordon..."

Hearing the term Master Zordon again was odd for him. Lightning Cruiser and Storm Blaster had called him that as well. The past while for Zordon was very odd, with what appeared to be more ghosts from his past popping up and bringing back old memories.

Meledon pointed to Joe and Guy. "I need you two to go with Marvin over to the couch over there. Captain Louse? Please head over and lie down. Guy and Joe will hold you down while I inspect you. I am getting a very strange feeling that this will not be pleasant..."

As they made their way to the couch, Delu spoke to the Sorcerer at the front of the ship, in the cockpit. He looked out at the waters of Earth and sighed. "Is this our new home?"

The Sorcerer stared on at the waters as well. "It appears so, my friend. Our home is gone now. The Demons ensured they finished what they started. Unfortunately for them, we are still around. We will get our revenge. That I promise you, Delu."

At that moment when he ended his speech, a voice came over the intercom system. "This is Magnus of the planet Magna. Can anyone hear me?"

Delu pushed a button on the console. "This is Delu. I can hear you."

"I must apologize for the bad news... on my way back to my planet, I spotted an ill wind heading toward Earth. The Dark Fortress approaches. I cannot stay and help, unfortunately. My planet is without a guardian. Please inform Zordon and the Resistance of Dark Specter's arrival." Magnus said over the network.

Delu acknowledged and signed off. He looked at the Sorcerer of the Sands with a face etched with fear.

"It appears as if the Demons are coming to us, Delu. It may not be Bansheera, but it is a start." The Sorcerer said, thoughts of revenge filling his mind.

. . .

Jinxer did not wish to bother his Queen. He gathered his wits before him and made his way to a place to the side of the main cockpit of Bansheera's ship. He cast a spell and a dark flame appeared in the corner of the room where he usually did his evil deeds. He pulled out several Demon Cards and thrust them into the fire. After a moment, dozens upon dozens of Demons walked out of the flames.

"Demons! Queen Bansheera needs you now! I have summoned you from the Shadow World to help defeat the traitor to Demons!" Jinxer said.

Magmavore, a lava based Demon, clenched his fist. "Dark Specter! Demon brothers! Let us take him down!"

Jinxer then turned and pointed out the ship's front windows. The Dark Fortress was approaching slowly and menacingly. "There! There is your target! Now go forth and destroy the Dark Specter!"

Within moments, the hordes of Demons were ripping their way through the physical portion of the Dark Fortress' hull. They began to run in and destroy anything and anyone they could find. The carnage was akin to pure chaos.

"Stop! Immediately!" A voice yelled, ringing through the ship.

The voice demanded such attention that the invading Demon army did as the voice said. They turned their heads about in curiosity until they found the source of the demand. He stood before them, brimming with confidence. His blade was pointed at them as he stepped forward.

"I am the herald of your destruction, traitorous Demons!" The warrior, Ecliptor, stated. "You will feel the wrath of Dark Specter! Ahh!"

Bansheera's Demons braced themselves as Ecliptor ran forward. Behind him followed several other fighters, including some of those who had been with Dark Specter on Onyx, such as Eye Guy, Lizwizard, and King Sphynx. As they all met in combat, the only thing one in the fight could hear was yells of pain and triumph, as each side fought to raise their leaders: some for the King of Demons, Dark Specter, and others for the Queen of Demons, Bansheera.

. . .

Rita sat in her room, the Dragon Coin in her hand. Green Energy shot out of the coin, being the Green Energy left over from its previous owner, Burai. It cut off the Red Energy that emanated from Rita's staff and enhanced the Blue Energy within her.

As she sat in front of her vanity, staring at her reflection in the mirror, she had more flashes of her childhood. She remembered as she underwent hours of training to hone her powers. She remembered her strong friendship with the young girl named Divitria. She remembered going through Eye Guy's machinery in his Main Eye dimension, being slowly brainwashed over time. The term "Alphabet Soup" kept popping up, but she could only remember that it was the name of the project that she had been a member of and nothing more.

She gripped the coin tighter in her hands. "That's it... I have had it with this war... I'm going to put an end to it. I don't know why, but I feel for the first time in ages I am thinking clearly. These fools have been using me for far too long. Well, they'll see they messed with the wrong person! I'm going to find Dragonzord, summon it and crush Zedd and Dark Specter myself. I'm going to need help, though..."

Rita smiled as a devious thought crossed her mind. "That's it! Zordon of Eltar! I'll team up with him! They'll never see it coming!"

As she thought of her plan, another thought came to her mind. _Wouldn't the universe be better off in Zordon's hands, anyway? I'm sick and tired of the lies and betrayal of those who raised me... Everything about Zordon is the_ _opposite_ _of that. Maybe I've been fighting for the wrong side all along..._

As she sat, lost in thought and second guessing herself, Darkonda slipped out of her room from the shadows like the snake he was. _Hehe... So Rita is defecting? I think not... I won't bother Dark Specter with this for now. I have some plans of my own. I think I can have some fun with this._

. . .

Cris-Re looked at the five new rangers before him in their ship from his hoverchair. He shook his head in disappointment. "I watched your battles, rangers. The majority of you let your new Animal Spirits get the better of you. The universe needs you all to be in full control of yourselves."

Mar-Ran looked down, ashamed. "My apologies, Cris-Re."

"You should apologize to the animals on Earth. There were animals involved in that battle on the city populated with High Ones. I did not see one of you go out of your way to protect them." Cris-Re said accusingly.

Jak-Am shook his head. "That's not fair, Commander. We were fighting those beasts from the Phantom Zone _to_ protect the animals."

Rach-Ur stepped forward. "And how did prisoners from the Phantom Zone get out anyway!? I thought that was impossible!"

Cris-Re nodded. "I contacted Krypton about that. Some unusual energy surge rippled throughout our home solar system. They investigated and found it had come from some odd monolith type thing on the planet closest to our sun. The surge seemed to have interacted with one of the entrances to the Phantom Zone.

"And as for what you said, Jak, you're right... yet I believe it would I believe it would have been _better_ to have specifically guarded the endangered species as they were fighting."

Jak-Am swallowed hard and stepped forward, toward Cris-Re. "You told me, sir, that you picked me to lead this team. I'm going to lead it how I see fit."

Cris-Re stopped and considered for a moment. "Very well, then. If that is ho-"

Tob-Zu ran in. "I am sorry to interrupt! I just intercepted a distress call. It seems to be an attack on the Animal Realm!"

The group watched as Tob-Zu turned on the monitors in the room. They looked on as the image of a long, thick blue worm-like being with two arms and two legs approached the Ancient City.

The Rinshi beast, Slickagon, laughed as he stared at his enemies, the animals of the Animal Realm. He had been told by Dai Shi that his number one goal was to distract the Order of the Claw and Animal Realm long enough to allow for Camille and Morticon to gain access to the passage leading to the Greatest Treasure in the Universe. If he was able to, as a side, get into the Ancient City, he was to procure a special Urn for the Master and Dai Shi.

Black Lion roared as he saw Slickagon. "What business have you here!?"

"I shall conquer you in the name of Dai Shi!" He yelled as he shot out slime from his body, coating the ground around him with the slippery slime. _That oughta keep 'em busy!_

Back on the ship, Jak-Am frowned. "Rangers, let's head back out."

Mar-Ran looked to Cris-Re as the rest of the team hustled to the teleportation bay. "I will do better at controlling the Rhino Spirit."

Cris-Re nodded. "I hope you do. The team needs your strength. I picked you to take the mantle of the Rhino because I believe in you. I know you can do it."

Mar-Ran sighed nervously as he turned and followed after his team. _I sure hope I'm strong enough..._

. . .

Warrior Leader 1 leapt off of his motorcycle and called to the main base. "Warrior Leader 1 to base. The last of Dregon's forces have been eliminated in this sector."

Deep within one of the Caves on Edenoi, Kamen nodded from behind a computer. "Perfect." He then switched the comm to Wizard Rider's channel. "Father? How are you?"

"I'm doing well. How are you handling things without Alpha 4?" Wizard Rider asked.

Kamen sighed. "I'm fine. I told you I can do well without him. Besides: he is doing more good right now on Earth than he would here. From my scans it looks like Earth right now is becoming a hive of evil."

"I should be heading back there, then..." Masked Rider Wizard said, doing the last of his checks of the community he had been delegated to check by Kamen.

"But... the people need their king to stay here..." Kamen said.

"They have you, son. You are a great leader." Wizard said.

Before Kamen could respond, he heard an explosion. "Father!? Father!? Are you okay!?"

"... I'm fine..." Wizard Rider replied, pulling himself up and brushing sand from off his black coat. He looked up and saw a terrible sight walking casually to him: Imperial Armor Dregon.

"I've heard rumors... My, my... It is true. My father has used the Royal Morpher. Well, I must say I am very happy to know you have kept it in pristine condition, and you even had the courtesy of bringing it to me." Imperial Dregon said as he approached Wizard Rider.

"You're not my son." Masked Rider Wizard spat. "I have but one son, and he is more of a man than you'll ever be!"

"What? The crippled boy Kamen? Pathetic." Imperial Dregon said. He laughed as he shot a blast at Wizard Rider.

"Infinity Ring! Magic Mode! Gold Dragon Style!" The Masked Rider screamed, leaping away from the spot that the attack had targeted and toward the villain. An explosion erupted behind him as the Dragon Armor and wings appeared on him.

"Yes! Excellent!" Imperial Dregon screamed. "Bring me my new power! Fact? Calculate the beam now!"

The floating, white statistically minded Droid did as it was told. After crunching the numbers on the powerful Masked Rider's trajectory, it shot the beam Imperial Dregon had his army create years prior. It was designed specifically to hit those with his DNA trace.

"Ugh!" Infinity Dragon Wizard Rider screamed as the beam hit him. He fell to the ground hard, pinned to it. The gravity around him had increased to incredible amounts, making his body too heavy.

"Soon, your suit won't be strong enough to protect you..." Imperial Dregon said. "Your organs will be crushed within you and you will be destroyed. Either relinquish the Royal Morpher to me and live, or wait until your destruction and I'll take it anyway. Oh, and you don't have any "Masked Rider Warriors" coming to save you. My general Cyclopter has sent a second wave to attack the planet."

Imperial Dregon hoped Lexian would decide to live on. He knew the easiest way to control the people would be to show them he kept their "king" alive. He knew, though, that at times the easiest route was unobtainable, so he was prepared to fight a large resistance should his father choose his own demise. In the end, he cared very little for his father's well-being.

"Self...Destruct...Code:" The Royal Rider began.

"No! You'll be crushed! Wait! I'm trying to hack into the shield still!" Kamen screamed. For once, he actually wished Alpha 4 were around to help him speed up the hack.

"4...3..."

"No!" Kamen said as he typed quicker and quicker. He began to be flustered as he had to work deleting errors caused by his fast typing. Gone were the days of Edenoi's resistance, when Kamen had vast amounts of underlings to help him. Their numbers had dwindled to the point where a Masked Rider was lucky to have two techs to himself. The majority of the time, a Masked Rider would share a tech with another Rider.

"...7..."

Kamen could hear his father slowing down his speech. He knew there were only two numbers left. He only hoped he could crack the firewall before his father could finish the code.

Imperial Dregon screamed. "Don't you dare, old man!"

"...9..."

Kamen could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Only one more keystroke and-

"...

"...4."

Dregon watched as within the containment field, the Royal Morpher exploded. A big burst of fire erupted within the force field.

"Nooo!" Both Kamen and Dregon yelled simultaneously, yet for different reasons.

Kamen slumped in his chair. His finger was still on the execute button. It had been a tie, but he felt awful.

 _I was too late..._

"Son..." Lexian said, leaning on a console.

"Dad!? How!?" Kamen screamed, turning his hoverchair around.

"I guess you teleported me out in the nick of time. Please... next time don't cut it so close. I'm getting old, you know." Lexian said, laughing.

With tears falling from his eyes, Kamen laughed as well. "Oh, Father. I'm just glad you got out... Oh, no. The Royal Morpher!"

"A sacrifice that needed to be made. I'm glad it's gone. Dregon would have had more drive than ever to get it. He won't be as vicious knowing it is gone." Lexian said.

Kamen shook his head, wiping the tears from off his face. "Well... I guess the cycle of war begins again."

Lexian looked at Kamen sadly, but with determination. "For now, Kamen. Hopefully we will be free of Dregon someday. But until then, we never stop fighting."

. . .

Bansheera closed her eyes. She turned to the north of where she had been. She outstretched her hand and pointed. "There. The Greatest Treasure lies that way."

As she began to walk toward the location, Loki(D) complained. "Why are we walking!?"

"Because on foot is the best way the Queen has to feel where the Treasure is." Diabolico replied, though he, too, was irritated.

"Just think! _Soon_ , the Greatest Treasure will be all oooouuuurrrrs." Vypra said, smiling proudly. Within her mind, the Demon ran around a corner behind a rocky wall, hoping to hide from Ayame Ubi.

"Yes." Bansheera replied. "It will..." _And then, Henry will be back in my arms. Then he and I together will rule the universe..._

. . .

Jellica, Carnisoar, and Grizzaka sat on a mountain edge. Carnisoar grunted. "After all of these years of planning, why hasn't Dai Shi called for us!?"

Grizzaka stood up and stretched. "I fear he has found the power he has been looking for. Perhaps he fears we would take it from him at the last moment..."

Jellica laughed. "Do you think he presumes correctly, Grizzaka?"

"All I know is we need to get into action soon." Carnisoar said.

"Surrender yourselves!" General Whiger yelled, leaping down from a higher cliff to where the Overlords were.

"Who are you!?" Grizzaka demanded.

"I am General Whiger! I have come to bring all of the animals in the universe together so that we can rule over all, like we rightfully should! Bow before me!"

Grizzaka stopped for a moment. "But... that is what we want, too..."

"Wait, what-" Jellica began, before Grizzaka stepped on her foot to silence her. She yelped in pain.

"Really?" Whiger asked. "And who are you three?"

"We are the Overlords of this planet!" Carnisoar cried out. "I am Carnisoar, Overlord of the Sky!"

"I am Jellica, Water Overlord."

"And I am the mighty Grizzaka, Overlord over Earth! If we combine our forces, we will be unstoppable!"

"Prove it." Whiger said defiantly.

"Zocato!" Grizzaka screamed.

"Rinzin!" Whiger rebuttaled, seeing the blast approach him. The Rinzin enveloped and destroyed the Zocato power.

"What!?" Grizzaka screamed.

"Hmm... Although it is not as powerful as Rinzin, it is good nonetheless. Come, follow me. I will take you to my group. We may be able to form an alliance that will get us what we want." Whiger said. He turned and motioned for the Overlords to follow him.

"Are you sure about this, Grizzaka?" Jellica asked.

Grizzaka laughed. "Oh, yes. If Dai Shi is holding out on us, he will soon regret it. We will use this Whiger and his companions to take down Dai Shi. Then, we will be able to finally have the Earth for ourselves."

. . .

Flit and the Cubs with him finished placing the boulder containing Scorpina into the safehold inside the Nexus Tree. The enchantment around the tree in the Jungle of Spirits would ensure no one would get to it, thanks to the Masters of the Order of the Claw.

"I don't understand why they sent mere cubs to do this." The youngest of the group, Swoop, said.

Flit puffed out his chest. "Everyone needs to start off as a cub!"

"It's a shame you won't live to see anything past that..." Camille said, laughing as she approached them. "Now, return Scorpina to me or face the wrath of Dai Shi."

Flit confidently got into a fighting stance. "Master Mao trusted us with this task! We will not fail him! Hi-yah!"

Unsure of themselves, the Cubs who had come with Flit, who were named Swoop, Finn, and Phant, got into stances themselves. All four of the fighters were very nervous, seeing as they had never encountered such a foe without the aid of a Master.

"Chameleon Spirit!" Camille shrieked, donning her Warrior Armor. She leapt into the air and shot several blasts from her Animal Spirit, quickly disposing of the three fighters behind Flit.

Being slightly more experienced, Flit was able to maneuver away from the explosion. He began running until he reached the edge of a cliff. He had hoped to get Camille as far away from the Nexus as possible.

The Chameleon Warrior rushed at him. She punched at him several times, surprised to find him block every move. He was so in tune with his purpose, his mission for the Order of the Claw, that he was able to tap deeper into his Animal Spirit than ever before. Frustrated, Chameleon Warrior kicked at him and continued fighting.

Flit then rolled away from her. "With the Spirit of a Fly!" He screamed. His Animal Spirit emanated around him as he got into a fighting stance.

Chameleon Warrior laughed as she saw Flit. "Haha! You think Fly Spirit can defeat my Chameleon Spirit!? You insult me! Hmmm... Do you remember when we last fought? I told you Chameleons eat Flies... and I didn't forget. I had The Master conjure up something special for you..."

She channeled into the spell Octomus had taught her. From her hands, Ancient Larva Dust shot out and encircled Flit. Because his Animal Spirit was the fly, it reacted adversely with him. Anyone else would have received a belly with maggots, which in and of itself is awful. Flit, however, had something worse occur: The light shined around him, bonding with his cellular make-up. Within moments, the spell compelled changed his genetic coding. Flit had become a giant fly.

Still focused on his duty, trying to ignore the horror that had occurred to him, he sped toward Chameleon Warrior. He hoped against hope that he could take her down in this new form somehow.

Focusing, Chameleon Warrior kept her eye on the large bug as it flew about. After a few laps around her, she jumped into position and flung out her tongue. It wrapped around him. Flit fought and tugged, but could not free himself. Within a matter of moments, he saw the tongue reeling him in.

"Noooo! Nooo!" He screamed. "Help me! Heeeeeelp meeeeeee!"

Chameleon Warrior swallowed him. She then demorphed and laughed. She hadn't told Flit the final piece to her revenge. She had asked The Master to help her with one more spell: a pocket dimension within her that would house Flit inside of her body. She would force him to stay inside of her, listening to the horrors that she planned to do to her ex - Order of the Claw teammates.

She smiled and placed a hide to her stomach. "Mmm... Feels good. Maybe I'll keep you in there... _forever_."

Feeling the eyes of the other three Cubs on her, she laughed and turned to look at them. "I will leave you three to live, so you can tell your Masters what you saw. That was the power of Dai Shi and The Master! Tell them to fear!" She then morphed back to her armor and leapt off the cliff. She knew she was running out of time, and she needed to meet Morticon soon: they had a rendezvous planned to get the Greatest Treasure in the Universe.

. . .

Nathadian Ranger watched as the army from Eden shot their wings out from their backs. As Michael leapt up and out to sky, leading to outer space, hundreds upon hundreds of loyal Ethereals followed after.

"Guardian... It is starting. The Holy War is here. I will keep my eye on Zordon and if things get bad, I will ensure to protect him." Nathadian Ranger said. He sadly made his way to his shuttle and put in the coordinates for Earth. Suddenly, a time vortex appeared before him. He entered at. As he did, he leapt from one part of the universe to the next. Future: Omega Ranger had a very difficult time keeping up with him. Within moments, Nathadian Ranger was outside Earth, hovering invisibly next to the Dark Fortress. He was ready to watch the Holy War begin.

. . .

The Watcher August blinked several times as he and his companion were enveloped in the light. Suddenly, upon the fifth blink, he found himself in a stone foyer type place. He saw some cables on the ground, which seemed to be foreign to the location. He looked at his pocket device, but it was still not signaling a correct location. He looked to his left and saw that Gosei had made it out of the Nothingness with him.

"Intruder! Intruder!" A voice began blaring over an alarm. Ignoring the voice, August continued to investigate the environment. He noticed a familiar presence. Right when he figured out what it was, and before he could say anything to Gosei, he was interrupted.

"Legend Sword!" A voice yelled, echoing through the stony walls. August also noticed archways lined up against the walls. He could feel they had the ability once upon a time to travel through the timeline, but they seemed to be deactivated. He calmly looked down the hallway as a familiar figure approached, gripping his weapon.

"A Watcher!? Oh, man! How did you get in here!?" Future: Omega Ranger demanded, gripping the hilt of his sword tighter.

August looked to Gosei. "Gosei. That is the Future: Omega Ranger. We are in what is known as the Hall of Legends."


	33. Part 0 - Chapter 17: Destinies Collide

**Chapter Seventeen: Destinies Collide**  
*special guest author: coolbluetj from Rangerboard

Future: Omega Ranger stopped and dropped his sword a bit, cocking his head to the side. "Wait... Gosei?"

Sophie's voice rang through Omega's helmet. "Sam? What's going on!? Why is there a Watcher and... _Gosei_ in the Hall!?"

August, using his heightened senses, was able to overhear Sophie speak. "There is a lot to explain, but we do not have time to do so. This is not the Gosei you know, guardian of the Hall. He is from another timeline. Gosei, this is the Hall of Legends. A dimension outside of space and time connected to a Universe my people call the Time Anomaly Source. Many eons ago, one of my kind caused certain time distortions to occur in this universe, causing what we call the Pattern, or the predicted outcome of timelines, to become unstable."

Omega grunted and pointed a blade at August. "I've been going through the archives here. You guys are the ones causing all the problems. I know who you're talking about: September. He's the one trying to fix... whatever that's broken." Omega sighed a bit as he finished speaking. Although he had been watching some of the interactions between the Watchers and Freelancers, he had not realized until that moment how little he actually knew about them.

August nodded. "Our people try and maintain the Pattern, yet... I never questioned why. Not until I met Gosei. I have realized the error of my ways, just as September did many, many eons ago. I wish to try and fix things."

"Don't make me laugh. Why should I trust you!?" Omega said, anger mixed with a bit of fear in his voice. Over the course of the past few hours that he had been indexing the Power Ranger Archives, he had grown to fear the Watchers. They seemed to be superhuman and able to manipulate situations with a frightening degree of accuracy.

August looked to Gosei and back to Omega. "You shouldn't... But please trust Gosei. Ever since the one you know as the Guardian created this place, my people and the Freelancers have wanted to make our way in. Gosei and I have come here by mistake, though. If this had been an attack, you would be surrounded. And you know you would not survive against an army of us."

Future: Omega lowered his weapon yet again. He then looked to Gosei, still distrustful of August. "How about you? For all I know, you are some freak clone created by the Watchers. Or a Shapeshifter. I've been trapped here for hours while my friends are trapped in SPD headquarters by a guy wearing my armor. You may just be Phase Two of whatever the Watchers are planning."

"I can't figure out how they got in, Sam." Sophie's voice said. "The shield around Earth is still as strong as ever and I cannot get past Doggie's firewall for the Hall. I don't know if you should trust these guys."

Future: Omega got into a fighting stance. He looked at Gosei uneasily. He looked just like the guy who he had seen be a Morphing Master and also a great help in the protection of the Greatest Treasure in the Universe by way of the Ranger Keys, but he knew looks weren't everything. He shook his head in confusion, not yet attacking from a combination of fear/respect for the power of the Watchers, and doubt about the authenticity of their story.

Gosei sighed holding up his hand. "Settle down, Omega. If we wanted to take you and the person on the other end of that comm line out, we wouldn't barge in. We are of no threat."

Gosei stepped closer to the ranger. A statement made by him piqued his interest. "Someone sent you here?"

Omega Ranger nodded, but did not budge from his attack stance. "Yeah. I was down here when someone using my same power set appeared at my base. General Cruger locked me here and said I needed to watch and index every bit of Ranger history in the Power Ranger Archives, and only then would I be released. If you guys are who you say you are, how did you get here?"

August looked at Omega and nodded. "I was in the midst of trying to detain a threat to the Pattern in Gosei's universe when an unfortunate mistake stranded us in the Nothingness. Do you know what that is?"

Omega nodded. "I've seen a little of that. And the Void."

"...Yes, the Void. That place has grown to be quite a frustration over the years." August said, thinking on the horrors which were unleashed from that dimension. "Gosei and I were trapped for a time in the Nothingness. We somehow ended up here when we tried escaping."

"Good luck." Omega said, relaxing. Something about them felt right. Genuine. He didn't _completely_ relax, though. "I have been here for more than ten hours. SPD has reported to me that Earth is encased in a force field and no one can get in. Our resident cyborg tech, Sophie, is trying to break through Doggie Cruger's shield keeping me here. But if you guys can get me out, that'd be great."

August looked sadly from Omega to Gosei. "We have been trying for eons to break into the place... I don't think we will be able to break out, either."

Gosei rubbed his chin, "There is always a chink in the armor. Have your tech wiz scan the shield. If we can't find something useful in the Hall of Legends, we're idiots. If the device brought us here, it has the capability to break us _and_ him out."

At that, Sophie's voice chimed in over the intercom system. "Umm... Master Gosei. Yeah, I've been trying to find that chink. I know I will find it. It's just that it will take me some time. It looks like Doggie is using Time Force tech in this new firewall. It is the most advanced I have ever seen..."

August looked to the two with him. "But Gosei is right. There must be a way out, if we were able to get in. We must have broken passed the asymptotic barrier caused by the firewall's algorithm. We may be able to figure out how. Omega Ranger... Evil has leaked into your universe and has notorious plans. Plans that my people are wanting to stop, albeit for selfish reasons.

"And Gosei... we need to act quickly. We are going to succumb soon to the power upholding the powers in this place: The Trizyrium Crystals."

Gosei was confused by August's statement. "Huh? Succumb to the power of the crystals? Explain!"

Future: Omega shook his head and sighed. "I'll explain that one... The Hall of Legends has a lot of radiation due to the Trizyrium Crystals in it. That seems to be the reason the Watchers and Freelancers have a hard time getting in here in the first place. It will react poorly with your tech, and... the radiation will will eventually destroy you..."

As August turned to speak with Gosei, a bright light sparked from high up in the portal room. Before long, a shimmering green light descended from the highest portal. The portal to the Inner Sanctum.

Future: Omega stared in disbelief. "Alpha Ranger!?"

August knew not who the being was and got into a fighting stance. He could feel tremendous power emanating from the being, and he felt an emotion he needed to get used to feeling: Fear.

Alpha Ranger turned his back on Future: Omega Ranger and looked at the two foreigners to the Hall of Legends. "I felt you two and your past through the Nothingness. Perhaps you ended up here because I was trying to scan the both of you... Your device may have bonded you to the Inner Sanctum..."

He then turned back to the guardian of the Hall. "Omega... go back to indexing. You have a lot of work ahead of you and you need to focus on that." Alpha Ranger said.

"But-" Omega began.

"Now." Alpha said simply.

Future: Omega Ranger dropped his shoulders a bit. He sighed and headed back to his workstation past the portal room. He slumped down onto his chair and sighed.

"Why did you let him tell you what to do?" Sophie asked, back to being exclusively in Omega's helmet.

"I dunno... I guess I don't want to argue with a demi-god. Just... I'll work on File Three and... oh... never mind. I'm getting another vision from my Third Eye. I guess I'll be doing File Zero then..."

. . .

Killian curled his lips in anger and turned to Regina. He then did something that shocked Regina: he stuck his finger in her face. "What are you doing!? Huh!? This! This is all... _ridiculous_! We are causing more and more pain! You told me that we would eventually make the universe right again, but all I've seen so far is pain and misery! We destroyed an entire universe!"

The last statement caused Mythical Master to open his ears in curiosity. As the three Ethereals made their way to Earth, Beelzebub and his Demons had gone to create an ambush while Killian had pulled Regina to the side to discuss his concerns. Mythical Master had a slinked away to eavesdrop.

"And once we get the Greatest Treasure I _will_ fix it all." Regina lied.

"You see... when we left our home and traveled to this universe with Lothor..." Killian began. He then sighed heavily with frustration. "It's just that everything has been a constant barrage of pain and misery. And... Love... Listen. I don't know about you..."

"What do you mean!?" Regina said, becoming frustrated.

Killian frowned. "You... enjoyed what happened to David too much. I'm afraid that, especially when it comes to Mary, or David, and _especially_ Emma, that you will keep them in the pain they're in. I don't trust that you can get over your anger and-"

"You're right!" Regina screamed, laughing and staring at Killian maniacally. "I _won't_ fix things. And you know what!? I don't need to go all the way with Lothor's plan. I was only using you to amplify the Violet Grid, because I know Lothor was using me for the same purpose. But I don't care. I don't need to be the Goddess of Magic to get Henry back! All I need is the Greatest Treasure!"

"What!? Henry!? That is what this has been about!? The boy you adopted!? He. Belonged. To. Emma! He chose her over you... and he's gone! He was destroyed when we destroyed our universe and came to this one!" Killian screamed.

Regina stopped and stared him. She slowly gave him a smile. "Sweetie... You have been good to me, so I will let you live out the rest of your days in peace..."

"Regina... please... It's not too late. We can still fix everything with the Greatest Treasure." Killian began to plead.

"Ha! I'm glad that universe is gone! All of those who laughed and scoffed at me are gone! I don't know how my mother is here, but she obviously has no memory of me. I beat her. I beat all of them. Why would I bring any of them back!?" Regina said, laughing.

"Because... That's what Henry would want..." Killian said, placing hands on her shoulders.

She sneered at him. "When Henry returns, he will be the Henry he was meant to be, without Emma's influence. He will be _my_ son. Now... goodbye Killian."

"No-" Killian started. Before he could move, Regina enveloped him in a red Nathadian bubble.

"Goodbye. You were good eye candy." Regina said. She then threw her hand, causing Killian to be tossed to the Earth. She watched as he became a small dot before hitting the atmosphere and beginning a descent to the giant supercontinent of Pangaea.

As Regina left to meet up with the scheming Demons, Mythical Master laughed to himself. _Interesting... So the witch is a Jumper like I am! I wonder if she has had any problems with the Watchers or Freelancers like I have. How did she get here, anyway? Perhaps I should speak with her..._

Before he could consider his options further, an explosion erupted near his location. Sprinting to the site, he saw Tessa, Michael, and Castiel staring at Beelzebub, Azazel, Goresakubo, Diabolico, Loki(D), and Regina.

"My Demons: keep Castiel and Tessa busy. Witch? Prove your worth to me. We'll dance with my brother." Beelzebub declared.

Mythical Master watched as the forum Demons rushed forward to battle the two Ethereals. Although they were outnumbered, their superior skills allowed them to keep up against the Demons who attempted to force them down with their advantage in numbers.

Michael threw his hood over his head. "Oh, Victor. Why don't we end this down on the main planet? Let us fight for the Holy War, as stated in our prophecies."

Beelzebub laughed. "I am no Ethereal and my name is no longer Victor. We are not brothers and I will not bring about that stupid Holy War!"

"Nathadian Blast!" Regina screamed. Michael threw out his sword and blocked the hit.

Beelzebub nodded. "Hmph. Good call, witch. Let's not waste time with words."

Regina began using every magical trick she could think of while Michael leapt from place to place, shooting White Energy blasts at Beelzebub. The Alpha Demon retaliated with Black Energy shots.

Jumping into the air, Michael swung his sword. A wave of power erupted from him and was shot forward, sprinting toward his opponents.

 _Time to gain favor in their sights..._ Mythical Master thought. Like an evil shadow, he seemingly glided over the moon surface to the fight. As Regina and Beelzebub dodged Michael's ferocious attack, he channeled his powers and shot a blast that crippled Michael from behind.

"My king!" Castiel screamed, seeing Michael fall to the ground. He attempted to get to Michael, but was grabbed in a chokehold by Azazel and thrown away from his friend.

"Nooo!" Tessa screamed as she was hit in the back of the neck by Diabolico. She, too, fell to the ground. White blood fell from her mouth as she watched Michael attempt to get to his feet, stunned by the extraordinary, and unknown type of, power Mythical Master shot him with.

Beelzebub slowly made his way to Michael. Bending over and placing one of his many hands on the top of Michael's head, the Alpha Demon lifted his former brother into the air. Michael winced in pain as Beelzebub began to speak.

"Good job, Mythical Master! You are proving your worth to me. Witch!? I wish for you to rid the Ethereal King from me!"

Regina smiled. "I can snap his neck, or-"

"No... I want him to live. I want to keep him stored away until a time when I can rub in his face the vast Demonic Empire I will create. Your special Red Magic will do that for me, or else..." Beelzebub said. He then leaned in close to whisper to Michael, who was trying as hard as he could to stay conscious. "Oh, poor Mikey. You were always such a loser. Had you listened to Lilith when she showed up at our door with Caius, the two of us would be sitting back right now, basking in eternal glory. Now... I'm going to keep you around just so that you can see what you could have had. It wasn't me who broke up our family. It. Was. You."

"...Lies..." Michael said. He then groaned loudly as Beelzebub tossed him to the ground.

"Use your powers, witch." Beelzebub ordered.

Regina was fearful. She did not want to do anything that would break her deal with the Demon. She could not imagine her life as a Demon woman, so she tapped as deep to the Universal Magic Grid as she could. Her tap hit the Red Magic portion, which was a mix of White Magic and Black Magic. She then forced herself to feel for the ultimate portion of the Red Magic: the portion referred to people from her universe as the portion used by the Magicians of the Nathadian Nation. She then felt what spell she should use.

"Nathadian Containment Spell!" She yelled. A rock floated up and above Michael. It turned into a red gem and surrounded Michael in Red Magic. Before long, through Regina's imagination, it turned into a giant monolith.

"Michael! No!" Castiel screamed. White Energy brimmed around him. He shot a blast, throwing Goresakubo to the side. He then blocked several punched from Loki(D) and threw him into Diabolico. Before he could get any further, Azazel swung his three eyed scythe, throwing Castiel back.

Beelzebub laughed. "It's over. Let them leave here so they can tell the other Ethereals what has happened here. If you try anything, though, I will launch a full scale attack on Eden. Do you understand me!?"

"You wouldn't dare!" Castiel spat.

As he did, Tessa limped to him. "Castiel... We have to leave now, to fight another day. We know they are keeping Michael alive. We must plan to save him!"

"Demons are weak to our White Energy! We can beat them!" Castiel protested.

Tessa then pointed to Regina and Mythical Master. "What about them, though? They are not Demons. Michael fell to non-Demonic powers. Our people cannot stand up to the powers they have."

"That's right, fool Ethereals." Diabolico said, joining his master's side. "Our combined force is too much for you. Now... flee! Hahaha!"

Castiel screamed in defeat. "Forgive me your heinous! I will set you free! I promise!"

Azazel laughed. "You're pathetic. Leave now."

As Tessa and Castiel spread their wings, he looked to Azazel. "I will bring you down myself, Demon. Mark my words!"

Beelzebub watched as the two flew off into space, toward his former homeworld. He then began laughing. "Oh, baby! Yes! I did it! I did it! I beat Michael! Yes!

"Okay... Goresakubo and Azazel? I need you two to go off and find a good place to hide Michael. Someplace far away from here."

Azazel laughed. "I have a place in mind... Somewhere far away." He motioned for Goresakubo to follow him. They both shot the monolith with Black Energy as a sort of grappling hook, and they flew out into space.

As they flew off, Beelzebub looked to the rest of his group. "So... Let us go down and meet the inhabitants of Earth. We'll find and crush Lothor, and then I will be taught by this witch her powerful Magic!"

. . .

"Here, my master." Tycon said. He threw the carcass of the beast he had hunted to Octomus.

Dai Shi looked at them both in confusion. "What is that thing?"

"It is some sort of beast native here to the Magic Realm." Octomus replied.

"Magic Realm?" Dai Shi asked.

"Yes. I have noticed this dimension that we seem to have been sent to has magical roots deeper than that of the main plane of Earth." Octomus explained. "I have asked Tycon to bring me a beast because I feel my powers here are amplified. I think I can perfect necromancy."

"Whoa! Are you serious!?" Dai Shi asked, wide eyed.

Octomus laughed. "Well... let's just see... Let us see..."

. . .

Gruumm struck down the native of the planet Ralma. He then dragged the being to Lije, who stood like the parasite she was in the midst of the town square.

"Noooo! Noooo!" The native of the planet screamed. Lije's eyes glowed with purple psychic energy as it emanated throughout the sword she held. She laughed and pointed it at the defenseless person and watched as the being's essence was ripped from the body into the sword.

Gruumm laughed and threw the body to the side. "Now, my master, what next for this planet?"

She looked around and scoffed. "Ralma is nothing more than a Deserted Planet now. What we do now is avenge my people. We go back to Earth to destroy Lothor with my newest weapon... the legacy to my people... the Sword of Power!"

. . .

"Yes, I have read Thor's report. It is a shame he lost track of the Demons who were responsible for all of this chaos." Zeus said via hologram to his brother Poseidon.

Poseidon sighed as he sat upon his throne in the great city of Atlantis. "I have a strong feeling that the Demons and their great weapon of destruction will return to Earth. I am keeping my city here to await that time."

"Why do you think they will return, Poseidon?" Zeus asked.

"I feel a strong presence here. I believe it may be that darkness we felt enter our universe a few moons ago. I think there may be a connection between the attacks and the dark presence. I have sent Thor and Loki to investigate."

"I pray for their safety, as well as that of the entire universe." Zeus stated.

"As do I." Poseidon said, a knot of fear in his stomach.

. . .

September sat in his cell, thinking and planning. He knew his plan needed to be perfect if he was to escape.

"Hey! You! Freak!" One of the guards yelled at September.

September furrowed his brow and looked at the guard. It was the first time that any of the guards had acknowledged his presence. Judging by how that one had just yelled at him, September realized the lack of communication was probably in his favor.

"You have a visitor." The guard said.

 _What? But who...?_ September thought.

Before he could think longer, August walked into the room. September knew what the "visit" was for as soon as he saw August.

"You're wasting your time, August. I will not change my mind and I will not return willingly." September said.

"You are broken, September. We can fix you, but only if you are willing." August said, staring at his former comrade.

September gave August a sad smile. "I'm not broken... I'm fixed! Oh, August. You don't know what you don't know."

August stared at him, confused. "Explain."

September sighed. "Okay, but I do this only in the hope that I can help you. But, I wish to do this in private."

August nodded. "Very well. I will arrange a room for us alone."

September sighed as August left. He felt as if he was hoping against hope that their conversation would mean anything in August's life. He sat and waited for August to return so he could try and convince him to not uphold the Pattern. The Pattern, which September believed would bring about the absolute destruction of the multiverse.

. . .

Mesogog looked out the window to his office. He could see the Dino Warriors going through their exercises and drills and growled in anger. "How long will they be here!?"

Dracul sighed heavily. "I have asked them and they said at least another week. They do not like that they have no idea where Lije went to, and they wish to stay behind to ensure our protection."

"But... Those _fools_ are inhibiting my trade! I can't have any items shipped in or out with them around!" Mesogog said, furiously.

Dracul looked out the window and watched as Geki called out a battle formation. A flash of light later, Dracul observed the Shield of Triumph being activated. "What _is_ that, Mesogog? That weapon Geki uses?"

"It is a special artifact passed down throughout the ranks of the Dino Guardians. It is activated by a user of the Tyrannosaurus Spirit when four other Dinosaur Spirits are infused into the shield. It brings to the user much power. I don't know much more outside of that..." Mesogog replied.

"Hmph. Well, back to our business... I guess we're stuck here?" Dracul asked.

Mesogog thought for a moment. He looked out at the vast amounts of land he owned and stopped as he placed his eyes upon the Great City. He chuckled. "Well, our stock may be stuck here while the Dino Guardians are here, but... what if we were able to get enough power to wipe them out?"

"What do you mean, Mesogog?" Dracul asked, unsure of what his boss meant.

"I mean... on our property we have the Morphing Masters. Let us just go out for 'a walk' one day and, I don't know... give that fool Lothor a visit? Maybe... 'borrow' some of his weapons?" Mesogog smiled as he looked to Dracul.

Dracul laughed. "I love it... Mesogog? I am at your command. I will rush into the Great City, and I won't even break a sweat."

Mesogog looked at him impressed. "You're not afraid?"

Dracul laughed. He placed a hand to his forehead and shook his head before folding his arms across his chest. "Afraid? I know nothing about fear. All I know is that soon Lothor will be... destroyed."

. . .

Ivicar spotted the camp. It had taken him a few hours, and the sun had barely begun to rise. He looked on as Tidus produced his sword and began shadow fighting to the side of the camp, to train.

"What do you want, Ivicar?" Auron asked, coming up from behind Ivicar unnoticed.

"Oh! Uh... Yes, Master Auron. I've been looking for all of you for the longest of times! I barely escaped the Great City with my life!" Ivicar said, looking desperately at Auron.

"Hmm... How is the Great City right now?" Auron asked.

"No idea. After those Monsters attacked, I ran. I felt a spike in the Morphing Grid and came here to see who it was." Ivicar stated.

"How can I trust you? You may be be a spy for Lothor." Auron countered. He narrowed his eyes at Ivicar from behind his sunglasses. He knew little about Ivicar from the Morphing Masters, as he had done what he was told and had not mingled with anyone. Lothor had not wanted anyone knowing anything about Ivicar, to ensure he remained as his dark horse within the group.

Thinking quickly on the fact Lothor wanted Ivicar to stay a sleeper agent for as long as possible, he looked at Auron and said. "Because I am running myself. I _think_ I felt Lothor following me. I... I need your help and protection."

Auron groaned. "Idiot. The last thing we need is Lothor around here. Come on, then."

As Auron led the way to the camp, Ivicar smiled to himself. _Excellent. I will slither into their group and befriend Tidus. Before he knows it, I will have the pieces of the Extreme Crystal back. This "alliance" should be over soon after it starts..._

Ivicar stared at those of the group, comprised of good willed Morphing Masters and those of the Al Bhed. As Auron explained Ivicar's story to the group, Ivicar watched each of them. He remembered Lothor's words of advice, to have fun with the job. He began crafting in his mind the persona he would give himself: a kind hearted man who gave words of advice to those around him, twisting small facts here and there to manipulate things to his will.

As he thought, he noticed something in the woods around the camp. Two men looking on with lustful intent. He knew not that they were not a real threat, for it was only Moltor and Flurious.

"...everyone..." Ivicar whispered. He decided to use the situation to gain the team's trust. "We have company... spies from Lothor..."

Rikku squinted and slowly turned her head. "I thought I heard something. Hmph. Nobody out - thieves me!"

"Rikku! No!" Yuna cried out. Before she could do anything, Rikku performed a back flip away from the group at the campsite toward the brothers.

Her father and pilot of their ship, Cid, began laughing. "That's my girl!"

The rest of the camp watched in amusement as Rikku sped to the spot where Moltor and Flurious were. From her belt she whipped out two blades and held them with reverse grips.

"Uh... uh...! Flurious! She sees us!" Moltor screamed.

Flurious' eyes went as wide as they could. "Ahhhhh!"

They then turned tail and tripped over themselves. Trying to travel toward safety, they pulled themselves up and trampled their way out of the tree lined territory.

Rikku stopped and laughed heartily. "And stay out!"

App laughed for a moment before the smile slowly faded. "They were probably just a scout group. We need to board the ship and leave here immediately."

Tidus sighed as he felt something in him. "Guys... Perhaps I can use the Crown of the Gods to help here."

Trueheart looked at him, confused. "How so, Tidus?"

"I... I'm not sure, but I feel it prompting me to do something..." Tidus said. As he finished, his eyes turned orange and shot out beams into the air.

Suddenly, Tidus' body was wrapped in orange light that lifted him up. From the beam from his eyes, a type of hologram of Tidus appeared above the camp.

"Soul projection?" Jakon asked, incredulous. "Such power..."

Jor shook his head. "How is he doing that?"

"That crown has much power. The way he has junctioned himself to it must be why he is exhibiting its power in such... interesting ways..." App said, astounded.

"I will return..." Tidus said. He then focused and flew over the surrounding forest. He watched as Moltor and Flurious continued to run away. He laughed as Moltor tripped, falling into Flurious. He saw them both tumble down a hill until they fell into a muddy ravine.

Looking in the opposite direction, he saw flashes of light. He decided it best to investigate. As he got closer he recognized the fish headed warrior, Vexacus, battling against Lothor.

 _I guess Ivicar checks out... Lothor really is here trying to find me..._ Tidus thought.

"You really are quite strong..." Lothor said as Tidus stared down on the duo fighting each other.

"I told you that I was strong enough to be a Morphing Master." Vexacus said simply. He swung his blade and sent an energy blast toward Lothor.

Lothor shielded himself. He then laughed. "I had my reasons for not picking you, Vexacus. You didn't fit the profile I needed. Really: it was only business. Don't take it personally."

Vexacus laughed. "My business _is_ personal!" He stabbed the ground with his sword and caused a blast to rupture the ground as it traveled to Lothor.

Lothor floated up above the ground as the attack was to hit him. "I don't have time to keep hiding my true power. I suppose I can't hide from Rumple forever. Nathadian Blast!"

The shockwave hit Vexacus and threw him into a tree. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

Tidus frowned. _Even with the Crown of the Gods... I don't know if we can defend ourselves from Lothor..._ He then sped back to the camp and entered his body.

"Tidus? Are you okay?" Yuna asked, running to him.

He nodded. "For now... but Lothor is coming fast. Ivicar was telling the truth."

Cid nodded and motioned to his crew. He said something in a foreign tongue and turned to Tidus and the Morphing Masters. "Come on, then. We can keep you safe."

App shook his head. "No. You need to save what is left of your family and people. We have caused you too much damage already. We will care for ourselves."

Cid laughed. "We don't blame you for our people. And what sort of people would we be if we left you in the maw of evil? Now come on before it is too late!"

Trueheart bowed. "We owe you, Cid of the Al Bhed."

As they began to run toward the ship, Ivicar sensed something. He turned to see Lothor peaking out from behind a tree. Ivicar quickly ran to him. "Should we attack now!?"

Lothor shook his head. "No. I don't know how powerful Tidus has become. I don't want to risk either of our lives. Now... stay with them and keep your guard up. Make sure they don't leave Earth, but keep your allegiance to me a secret. Understood?"

As Ivicar nodded, Jakon yelled out to him. "Ivicar!? Are you coming or not!?"

Lothor ducked down as Ivicar turned to Jakon. "Yes! Coming! I'm sorry... I thought I heard something." Ivicar then ran to meet with Jakon.

As they began to make their way to the ship, Jakon looked back with a look of curiosity at where he had seen Ivicar. He squinted at the spot before turning back and joining the rest of the group.

Lothor smiled from his huddled position behind the tree. _Although a slight hiccup, it is going according to plan. I have my plant in position and he will strike when everyone least expects it!_

. . .

Dr. Berron looked at the genetic material in the vial. It came from the being that had died hundreds upon hundreds of times up to that point. He only hoped it was getting close to being complete.

He was the sole scientist from the Cimmerian Planet that had stayed on the project. He had very few people backing his "outlandish" experiment to begin with, he remembered as he looked at the empty lab in his parked ship. Of those who _had_ gone to the "fighting grounds" with him, over half left after the first round. They were sick to their stomachs as they saw the horrifying scene that Berron had explained to them would happen: a cub Monster of the Shapeshifter species was placed on the planet's surface and left to be destroyed by the beats on the planet.

The planet was known to house the most despicable and terrifying wild life in the universe. That was why it was perfect for what Berron intended. After the subject was decimated, who he called Cub, his robots had gone out and collected what remained of Cub for its DNA.

Berron believed through Natural Selection that the genes would, with the aid of his nanites, "remember" how they were destroyed. Using the same equipment he used to help the Ethereals create their Power Cards, he ripped the Spirit of Cub from the Afterlife for Monsters in what was termed the "Shadow World" and inserted it into the clone of Cub's body. Berron then placed Cub back out into the harsh horror of that planet and watched as within moments it was destroyed by predators. Berron repeated the process without flinching hundreds of times.

At his present time, he sighed. The newest clone for Cub opened its eyes as its Spirit returned once again. Berron loved seeing the changes to Cub with every iteration of Cub's births. It had been months since Cub was actually small: The current Cub stood at about seven feet in height, with massive musculature. He was still humanoid. His insides no longer had vital organs, but instead had only solid metallic, bone like structures. He had evolved past them, but still had other basic features such as muscles and tendons. He only had his outer limbs and head that functioned mainly for appearance. He was only male due to his basal DNA. He had shoulder length white hair, red eyes with varying abilities to see different spectrums, and small razor sharp teeth. His skin was grey in had no need for nourishment.

Berron stared at Cub and smiled. "Yes... you will soon become the Ultimate like I have planned for you to be!"

Cub looked at Berron and uttered his first word, seeing as after the few years of experiments, that happened to be the first time he heard words chained into a phrase. Some sort of sentience was planted in whatever constituted Cub's mind at that moment. "Papa?"

Hearing the deep, otherworldly voice call out to him in such a way horrified Berron. His face contorted to one of terror and guilt. He began breathing heavily and screaming. "No... No! You're a freak! No!"

Cub watched as Berron ran from him and activated a button. Several laser cannons were pointed at him from the internal defenses. They began blasting at Cub.

"Nooo! Papa!" Cub shrieked in pain and confusion. He grunted and ripped out of his container. He grabbed the lasers and ripped them off the ceiling. Large chunks of flesh fell to the floor, but no blood since he was energized solely by Lifestream and Spirit. He then ran to Berron and looked into his face. "Why hurt me?"

Berron stared deep into Cub's eyes and realized there was something there he hadn't planned on: free will. Disgusted with himself and the misguided Monster, Berron pushed a button on his wrist tech.

"Huh!?" Cub shouted. Immense pain shot through his body. He crumpled to the ground, howling in pain.

Berron stared, face flushed. "I'm sorry, Cub. You're a Monster, but you... I don't know. I must have rubbed some humanity on you. It's better you just... it's better that I start elsewhere for the Ultimate. You aren't what I need."

 _I can be... Ultimate!_ Cub thought. It was his last thought before the destruction mechanism programmed into Cub's nanites finished forcing each of his "brain" cells to undergo apoptosis.

Berron sneered in disgust as his robots threw Cub's body out onto the planet. He shook his head and sighed. "Computer... take me back to the Cimmerian Planet." He dropped onto a chair at his desk and shook his head. "I'm never coming back to Krypton again."

As Berron's ship began to blast off, something unforeseen occurred. After the years of experimentation, Cub's cells were used to being brought back. Quite rapidly, Cub's body regrew each of his brain cells, stronger than before. They were from that point onward invulnerable to the nanites Berron had implanted in him.

Cub's eyes fluttered open. As they did, he saw the ship begin to move. He grunted in frustration, recognizing the ship as the tool that had continuously spit him out to be destroyed time after time. He howled and rushed toward it with blinding speed. He grabbed it before it was two feet off the ground and tossed it down. Lasers shot from his eyes and within moments the ship exploded.

"Ultimate! I am Ultimate!" Cub screamed, proud that he had taken down what he saw as a predator. "Papa!? Did you see!?"

Cub began uses his senses to search out for Berron. Almost instantly, he smelled his charred remains in the wreckage. He grunted, digging through the flames that hardly affected him as he frantically searched for Berron. When he saw the evil scientist's burnt corpse, he howled in sorrow.

"Papa... I not knew!" Cub screamed. Without warning at that moment, a pack of wild dog - like creatures pounced onto Cub. They recognized his smell as a meal they had feasted upon at one point in their lives.

Their teeth broke as they attempted to bite Cub. He roared in anger as he grabbed each of them and ripped them apart, limb from limb.

 _What is my life!?_ Cub thought, confused. The highly intelligent beast looked up to the stars for answers. He knew that the ship had been heading upward, but he knew not why. He squinted into the sky and, using his advanced sight, perceived what lay beyond the atmosphere. He had his first sight of the cosmos and was mesmerized.

He then saw something he did not understand: two beings flying through space with a giant black object floating behind them. He had no way of knowing who the two were, or who was in the object. He didn't know the scene was of Goresakubo and Azazel carrying the monolith with Michael. He watched as they soared and landed on the planet closest to what he thought of as the large ball of fire, or the red sun near Krypton.

Focusing with all his might, Cub leapt up. To his surprise, he not only had jumped high, but was flying. He did not have any understanding of the different abilities he had received from Berron's disturbing experiments.

In space, Cub stared at the planet Goresakubo and Azazel had landed upon. He breathed in slowly. _I will have them teach me... Teach me to be the Ultimate. For Papa._ He then flew toward the closest rock to the red sun.

. . .

On Earth, Emma screamed in frustration. "We have to find her! She took my son! She took my father! She destroyed our entire universe!"

Rumple looked at her, sadness etched on his face. "Emma... you need to understand. She is very powerful. So is Lothor. That is _why_ all of this has happened. We need to be smart."

Baelfire was the one to chime in. "No, Dad. Not this time. Playing it smart was what got David captured by those... things!"

"Please! We need to calm down and think!" Belle shouted.

"Not blinking likely..." Will stated, nursing an injured arm.

"Think about what!?" Emma screamed.

"Staying alive!" Rumple shouted back.

"Well I'm sure you know all about that, huh?" Baelfire said darkly. "You made sure you made it to this universe just fine!"

Rumple stopped and looked down. "I... I just don't want you all to... to... to end up like everyone else. I have a whole universe on my shoulders. I'm not going to lose you all, too."

Mary sat apart from the group but still listened. She felt empty and hollow inside. She was usually the voice of reason, but without David she didn't feel as if she could do anything anymore.

Emma looked at him with compassion. "Rumple. Please let us do this our way. From here on out, we are not your responsibility."

"I don't care what you say!" Rumple screamed. "If you fall, it will still be my fault! Just like you said, Bae..."

Anastasia looked at Will. "What should we do?"

Will shrugged and shook his head. "This isn't about us..."

Baelfire clenched his fist. "Oh... Darn it, Dad! Why is everything so _difficult_!?"

As he uttered the last word of his phrase, a blast of Black Magic erupted from him due to his passion. As the shockwave blasted out of him, Rumple stopped, wide eyed. He pointed behind Baelfire with fear in his eyes.

"What is it!?" Baelfire asked. He and the others turned to see something shimmering.

"An invisible shield. Your Black Magic pierced it a bit..." Rumple said. He focused and shot a Debarrier spell at the spot. Suddenly, a massive temple could be seen, mere feet from the group.

Mary looked up at that incident. She was in shock as she saw the temple. She slowly approached the group. "Those symbols... they're..."

Rumple nodded. "Nathadian."

Future: Omega Ranger stared intently at the temple. After a few moments he recognized it. It looked different than when he saw it during Files Two and Three, but it was indeed the same temple. The temple belonging to the Ghost of Darkness.


	34. Part 3 - Chapter 17: Two Weeks' Notice

**Chapter Seventeen: Two Weeks' Notice**

"Ahhh!" Marvelous screamed. His eyes were black as the Demon part of him surged to protect him from Meledon Ranger's scan.

"Is there anything we can do for him!?" Miha asked, extremely concerned over Marvelous.

Meledon shook his head. "It is almost done and... Morph! Everyone morph now!"

Without asking, the Gaia Rangers pulled out their Power Cards and transformed into their Power Ranger counterparts. They lined up behind Meledon save the Black and Green Rangers, who were still holding Marvelous down.

"What is it!?" Gaia Yellow demanded.

"I found what was inside of him, and I can feel it coming out!" Meledon said. He summoned his red tiger saber and transformed into his Red Tiger Mode. "I don't know how, but it seems to be a strong Demon inside of him. It is acting as some sort of symbiote!"

Suddenly, Marvelous began laughing. He ripped his arms out of Gaia Black and Gaia Green's grip and threw them to the side. The four other Power Rangers in the room ran to their fallen comrades. They then stared in shock as Marvelous stood up before them, glowing with Black Energy.

"Marvelous!? What are you doing!?" Demanded Gaia Blue, pointing a finger at Marvelous.

Marvelous chuckled. His voice sounded like a mix of his own with another voice that was deep and otherworldly. "Oh, Joe. You were such a good assistant to me during the our time together in the Dai Zangyack. It is a pity the Sorcerer of the Sands needed to interfere with his horrendous Power Cards..."

"Marvelous!? What are you talking about!?" Gaia Pink screamed, walking toward him.

"Marvelous is no more. He has just been a vessel for me." The Demon within Marvelous said, laughing.

"Who are you!?" Gaia Yellow demanded, deeply disturbed seeing her childhood friend in such a situation.

"I am just a remnant. An avatar. You see, when you activated the White Light to the Afterlife on Rashon two thousand years ago, you bridged the gap between those of us who have passed on. Mere moments before, the Alpha Demon Beelzebub had been destroyed by the abomination that is Bansheera. He was sent to the Shadow World, where Monsters abide after destruction."

As the Demon within Marvelous continued, each of the rangers stood and stared. A part of them wanted to attack him then and there, but they were so enthralled in wanting to hear his backstory that they, even Meledon Ranger, seemed to be frozen in place.

"When you activated the Savage Sword to release those on Rashon to the Afterlife, Beelzebub was able to also see out from the Shadow World and he saw you lot. He attempted to pull himself out of the Shadow World, but could not do it. He was able to, however, channel a large sum of his energy to create me, a remnant, to take control over the Spirit that he saw near him. That of Marvin Louse. The plan was for me to originally just guide this vessel to bring Beelzebub back to the land of the living, but... I began to feel and act for myself. You see, I learned from Marvelous what it means to have free will, and the two of us became lost, becoming one entity."

The Demon Avatar laughed and pulled out Marvelous' Power Card. "This right here separated us. He forgot about me, but I was still there, trapped in what I say is now just as much _my_ vessel as it was his. Well..." The Avatar said, tossing the Power Card to the ground in front of Gaia Pink and Gaia Yellow. "It is my turn to take over the helm. Time for me to... have some fun!"

Meledon Ranger stepped forward and pointed his blade at the Avatar. "We won't let you. You're not going anywhere except back to the Afterlife."

The Avatar laughed. "Oh, you silly Power Rangers. Hmm... That reminds me. I learned a bit about how the Morphing Grid works from being inside this body for so long. I had been saving this next bit as a surprise for later, but I guess I will need to fight fire with fire..."

The six Power Rangers stared in shock as they felt Black Energy mix with Black Morphing Energy. The Avatar laughed as the energy began to erupt around him. He then yelled out, "Gokai Change!"

After a blast of light, the Gaia Rangers stared at the figure before them in a mix of awe and terror. He stood before them with much confidence as he placed a hand to his helmet and nodded his head back, as if to comb his hair back.

"Well that's a blast from the past..." Gaia Blue said.

"But it looks so evil compared to how we looked..." Gaia Green stated.

"This is not right!" Gaia Pink shouted.

"Marv... No..." Gaia Yellow said, looking down.

"I won't let you down, Marvelous!" Gaia Black stated, the first to get into a fighting stance.

"I am the Meledon Ranger. I will not allow you to leave this ship with Captain Marvelous."

The ranger stood and laughed. He had the familiar look of a Gokaiger, like the Gaia Rangers noticed. Instead of a black "undershirt", it was red. The skull and crossbones that normally accompanied the rangers suit was gold on this new ranger. The coloring of the rest of his suit was black. On his shoulders were large golden shoulder pads, jagged to look like lightning. His helmet was black, with a red visor. In essence, he seemed to be the reverse of Gokai Red's color scheme.

"I am Gokai Slayer. Prepare to meet your doom!" The evil ranger said, jumping into a fighting stance.

The fiver Gaia Rangers ran forward, White Energy crackling around them. Gokai Slayer performed a backflip over the table behind him and threw the table at those rushing at him. Gaia Pink slid under the table and stood before Gokai Slayer. She went to punch him but hesitated.

Slayer laughed and took her in a chokehold. "You know... Marvelous has strong feelings for you. I have learned to take a liking for you, too. I was very sad you had not become a Demon and join the Dai Zangyack, but you can still be one of us... You could be my Demon Queen..."

Gaia Pink screamed and kicked away from Slayer. "In your dreams! Now give me back Marvelous!"

As Slayer was to attack her, he was blasted into the wall behind him by an abnormal amount of White Energy. Disoriented, he tried looking up and could barely make out his assailant.

Meledon Ranger walked toward him, holding Marvelous' Power Card. "I have a natural link to the White Energy of the universe. That plus my Nathadian Magic was probably too much for you to handle." Meledon Ranger then shot another Nathadian spell at Gokai Slayer. Beneath him, a Demon Trap appeared.

"What!?" Slayer screamed.

Meledon Ranger leaned against the wall next to Slayer with his shoulder. "I told you that this fight wouldn't be fair. Now, let me see how I can separate the two of you..."

As Meledon Ranger began another scan, the Sorcerer of the Sands spoke to his rangers, having made his way from the cockpit after hearing the disturbance in the back of the ship. "So that's what has been wrong with Marvelous. Do you all think Zordon can help him?"

Gaia Yellow clenched her fist. "He has to."

They then heard Meledon Ranger shout: "Nathadian Spirit Splice!" They turned and watched as Gokai Slayer fell back to his knees, screaming in pain.

"Marv..." Gaia Pink said, worried. She placed her hands to her chest as she stared on.

Suddenly, two beings stood before them: Gokai Slayer and Gokai Red. They both stood and stared at each other. Gokai Red folded his arms across his chest and shook his head. "Really? I've been carrying a Demon inside of me this whole time?"

Gokai Slayer grabbed him by the collar of his suit. His voice no longer had the tinge of Marvelous'. It was one of pure darkness. "I am not something to just toss to the side!"

Meledon Ranger focused and shouted. "Meledon Conversion: Iron!" He then rushed into the Demon Trap and punched Gokai Slayer as hard as he could. He was shocked to feel Gokai Slayer grab his fist with one hand while still holding onto Gokai Red with the other.

"I am no longer a Demon, fool Ranger. Like I said, I am an avatar of a Demon. Now that I am no longer in Marvelous, I should have disappeared, but... I suppose that since you separated me while I was morphed you have allowed me to live on through my tap to the Morphing Grid." Slayer said. He then laughed and threw Meledon Ranger away from him. As he did, Gokai Red kicked Gokai Slayer in the stomach, sending him to the ground. Before he could do anything else, he found himself demorphed.

"Huh!?" Marvelous said, looking down in surprise. He did not know it, but his artificial tap to his old powers was only maintained by Gokai Slayer. After they were no longer connected, the tap returned to being exclusively attached to Gosei's Gokai Ranger Key.

Gokai Slayer looked around the room. He saw the Gaia Rangers helping Meledon Ranger up. _I'm no fool. I need to gather myself before I attempt an attack..._

Before any of them could react, Gokai Slayer shot a blast of Dark Energy at a window nearby and leapt out. As he was in midair, he focused and turned into a blur of energy, streaking away as fast as he could, a black and crimson light flying through the sky.

The group ran to the window and stared, but they lost track of the lightning quick ranger.

"Great..." Joe said as he powered down. "He's gone."

Miha nodded, demorphing as well. "But he'll be back."

"I am sorry, rangers. I don't know much about the Power Cards. I put you all in danger by trifling with things I did not understand..." The Sorcerer of the Sands said.

"Trust me..." Luka said, demorphing along with Doc and Guy. "We are in a much better situation now than we were before. We owe you a vote of thanks."

Doc bent over and picked up Marvelous' Power Card. "Here you go, Cap."

Marvelous smiled and looked at his team. "Well, I guess we just need to focus on the positive?"

Luka ran and gave him a large hug. "Welcome back, Marvin."

Meledon powered down. "I am glad everything worked out. I am sorry I was not able to completely rid us all of that Demon, though."

Marvelous walked up and shot out his hand. "No, Zordon. Thank you for freeing me. I owe you my life."

Zordon took his hand and smiled. "Just trying to help."

As they shook hands, Delu ran to the back of the ship. "What happened back here!? Uh... Never mind. General Zordon? Gosei is calling for you. He needs you back at the Resistance base as soon as possible."

Zordon looked at them. "Okay. Well, I guess duty calls. Until we meet again, Rangers. And, welcome to Earth. I hope this is the start of a great alliance." He then typed up the coordinates for his cave into his wrist tech. A portal appeared and, waving goodbye, he walked into the portal. As he did, he overheard the Sorcerer of the Sands say something about Dark Specter approaching to the Gaia Rangers.

 _What!? Dark Specter is coming to Earth!?_ Zordon said, astounded. Before he could react further, though, he was on base in Gosei's main room.

"Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi! Zordon!" Alpha 4 screamed, running from console to console. "This is bad! Very, very bad!"

Gosei rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Calm down, Alpha!"

Dimitria, from her console, looked at those in the room with her and shook her head. "What do you think we can accomplish in such a situation?"

Zordon breathed in slowly and put out his hands. "Okay! Everyone calm down and _stop_! What. In. The. World. Is. Happening!?"

Gosei sighed heavily and began. "Well, the most relevant one is Dark Specter... He has just parked the Dark Fortress in orbit around Earth. And... Bansheera is here, too."

"What should we do, Zordon, while they have their inner Demon squabble?" Dimitria asked.

"Oh, so they are fighting each other?" Zordon asked.

"It would appear so, Zordon." Alpha 4 stated, typing.

"Well, it gets us some time to plan on a defensive and offensive against them, then. I think it is insane that the Demons come here, though, seeing how fortified this planet is to Demon attacks." Zordon said.

"That's not all, Zordon." Gosei said. "There is also something else. Someone waiting to speak directly with you over the communication network."

"Is it Trinity? Where is she, anyway?" Zordon said.

Gosei shook his head. "No, Trinity is out helping against yet _another_ attack against the Ancient City. Zordon... the person on the line is none other than Rita Repulsa. She said she wishes to speak to you concerning her surrender. She said she wants to help us defeat Lord Zedd and Dark Specter."

. . .

The Pink Ninja Storm Ranger fell to her knee, slashed badly by Slickagon's recent attack. No matter how much she, the giant Animal Warriors led by Black Lion, or the Order of the Claw fought, they could not seem to get the best of the slippery eel. The Beast Watch Rangers were also having their fair share of difficulty getting close to Slickagon, because the slime had magical properties.

"Ah-haha!" Slickagon pronounced with glee. He then shot more goo. It landed in Leon's eyes. As it did, he slipped on a pile of goo and landed on his brother Lionel, who had just returned from a devastating defeat from the Great Battle of Atlantis.

"Get off of me!" Lionel screamed.

"I can't see!" Leon shouted in reply.

"I got this!" The Phoenix, Ave, said. He swooped down with Galcon following behind.

"I don't think so!" Slickagon said with pride. He blasted the duo with slime, gooping their feathers.

"I'm out of control!" Galcon screamed. Both he and Ave crashed horribly into the the mountain wall surrounding the Ancient City.

As they crashed, Beast Red turned to his rangers. "Okay, guys. The Magic is affecting us too much. Let's back off and try and help out the injured animals."

Beast Blue nodded. "Yes. That is our primary mission anyway."

Beast Green shook his head. "No! We have to take this creep out!"

"Mar, no! Help us save the Animals first." Beast Red said.

"But-" The Green Ranger began.

"No. I'm giving you an order!" Beast Red shouted, cutting him off. He wished he hadn't done that, especially to Beast Green. They had been friends for quite some time, even before their mission together after the Council put them in Cris-Re's group.

"Fine, _fearless leader_." Beast Green snapped. He allowed the rage of the Rhino Spirit take control of him and he charged out toward the fallen aerial beasts.

"Mar, wait!" Beast Red screamed.

Beast Yellow shook her head before taking flight. "Let's just head over there!"

As the Beast Rangers flew after their Green member, Master Mao turned to Master Rilla, frowning. "This is probably the stupidest battle I have ever seen. How are we losing!?"

Master Guin made her way to Mao and Rilla. The Masters had retreated to the City's entrance to act as a final line of defense. "I think this is a lack of wisdom on our part."

"What do we do, then!?" Master Lope demanded from behind as he secured the still unconscious bodies of Mondo, Gara, and Zydos in a force field at the city gate.

Almost as if on cue, Robo Knight appeared from a portal he had made. He had stayed some extra time with the High Ones at the coast off the former site of Atlantis, helping them collect their wits. He looked at Slickagon, then to the Order of the Claw Masters. "Stand aside. I'll handle this creature."

Robo Knight suddenly moved as if he were a blur, yet it looked as if he was hardly moving. He moved so quickly he caused the goop around him to fly up and lose its bond to the ground. He then pulled out his blade and struck at Slickagon. Unfortunately, the blade slide off and did not injure the Rinshi Beast.

"Hahaha! Nice try, loser!" Slickagon shouted.

"Vulcan Cannon!" Robo Knight declared. "You messed with the wrong knight! Knight Dynamic!"

Slickagon watched as several wispy tendrils of laser power erupted from Robo Knight's blaster. Before he could react, he was blasted.

"It looks like I got myself in a sticky situation! I'm sorry, Dai Shi!" Slickagon cried out as energy crackled around him. He fell to the ground and exploded. As he did, all of his Magic goo disappeared with him.

"The environment is safe again." Robo Knight said. He then bent over and helped the exhausted Pink Ranger up. "Now let me get you back to base. You need rest, Master Trinity."

The Order of the Claw Masters watched as Robo Knight opened up a portal and took Ninja Storm Pink to the Resistance base. They looked at each other, very impressed.

"Wow. We need him around more often." Guin said.

Mao nodded. "Yes... Now, let us deal with Mondo and his minions."

As the Masters turned to look at Mondo and his assistants, the Beast Watch Rangers waved goodbye to the Animal Warriors as they went back to their positions around the Ancient City, to await another possible attack from Dai Shi.

Beast Green huffed. "Let's just get back to the ship... unless our _fearless leader_ has a problem with it."

"Come on, Mar! It's not like that! I-" Beast Red began.

"Rangers? This is Cris-Re. I have picked up some activity I want you to check out. I'm sending you the coordinates. I sense Animal Spirits involved."

Beast Black typed in the coordinates into his wrist tech. "Okay, guys. We're ready."

Beast Green looked at the new coordinate that popped up on his wrist tech. Without saying a word, he pushed the execute button and teleported to the location.

"... Okay, guys. Let's go." Beast Red said. They all nodded and teleported to their next location, not knowing they would be thrust in the middle of a battle between Bansheera and her Demons against Camille and Morticon.

A few yards away from where they teleported, Lope looked at his fellow Masters and said, "I actually have found the perfect dimension for the spell to trap these three. It is a very small one where their powers will be extremely diluted."

Rilla cracked his neck. "Alright. Let's do this."

The four Order of the Claw Masters put their hands out. Channeling their powers together, they recited an incantation to send the three villains away for what they hoped was forever. At the end of the spell, Master Lope cried out, "Elfland!"

The energy spilled out over the three would be rulers of the universe. Within a matter of moments, they disappeared, being sent to a different dimension.

Guin then sighed. "It's been a long day... I believe I need to get some rest."

Mao gave them all a stern look. "Yes. Get some rest. I have a strong feeling this is just the beginning of a very strenuous chain of events for those fighting against the forces of evil." He then looked up to the sky, not knowing that at that moment in space, Bansheera's forces were fighting against those of Dark Specter. And none of them knew about the massive army of Ethereals zooming in space toward them all, with war in mind...

. . .

Scorch looked at Grizzaka. "So you say this Dai Shi is the being bringing down the Animals of this planet?"

Grizzaka nodded. "Yes. He is trying to secure great power for himself, so he can use it to eliminate all Animals from this planet."

Carnisoar and Jellica exchanged significant glances. They wondered if Grizzaka's plan would pan out. They hoped that his intents would help them get control over the planet. They had truly believed Dai Shi would get them that power back, and had some faith still that he would contact them to get their help to get the Greatest Treasure in the Universe.

One of the Phantom Beast Generals, Iguanitor, scoffed. "How can we know we can trust these three?"

Whiger looked at the Overlords and considered. "I don't know why they would lie about this... unless they are just wanting us to rid them of some petty rival."

"Ha! That would be rich!" Snapper said, laughing and walking to Scorch. "What do you think, Scorch?"

Scorch looked at Carnisoar. "Well, they obviously have some past ties to Animals. Grizzly Bear, "

Carnisoar looked to Jellica. He sighed and decided to go along with Grizzaka's plan. "Yes... We are... _descendants_ of Animals."

Jellica nodded and went along with the lie. "Why, yes. We came to this planet to stop the horrible Dai Shi from ruining Animals. We have been fighting him for a long time, but we are too weak..."

Scorch nodded. "Well, I suppose that makes sense. I can feel the strong Animal Spirits within you."

Grizzaka chuckled quietly. _If only you knew why..._

"So, you have decided we are following these 'Overlords'?" Snapper asked.

Scorch nodded. "Yes. Whiger? Iguanitor? I need you to go talk to the Phantom Beast Warriors and the rest of the Generals."

Iguanitor looked at him. "And tell them what?"

Scorch looked at the Overlords and back to the two Generals. "To help these three so called Overlords take down our newest target and enemy of the Animal Realm: Dai Shi."

. . .

Zordon sat at the communication desk and sighed. "This is Zordon. What is it, _Rita_?"

In Finster's lab, alone, Rita sat in a corner at a communication device. "I... I know you don't believe me, but I... I have had a change of heart. I want to help the Resistance."

"Ha. I didn't know you were a comedian. I have absolutely no reason to believe you, witch." Zordon said. As he did, Trinity and Robo Knight entered the room.

Trinity tip toed over to Gosei and whispered, "What is happening?"

"Rita has called and she is saying that she wants to betray Lord Zedd." Gosei replied.

Trinity cocked up an eyebrow. "Seriously? That's... awful... Does she think we're stupid?"

"This isn't a joke." Rita said. "I have just sent you a schematic of the new zord Zedd is re-building. I believe you remember it..."

Dimitria spoke from the screen she was in. "Yes, I see... Everyone, do you remember Cyclopsis? Don't the schematics for that zord seem to be much stronger than before?"

"This proves nothing, witch." Zordon said.

He heard Rita sigh. "How about this? I have discovered your hiding place for the Dragonzord. I used my Magic and felt a connection to Earth. It wasn't too hard to find... since I'm a witch..."

Gosei gritted his teeth. "This is awful! The Dragonzord will rip us apart!"

"Why haven't you attacked us with it, then? Are you calling to gloat?" Zordon asked.

"No, Zordon. I am letting you know that Zedd is launching Cyclopsis within the hour. I just learned myself. I intend to fight him off with the Dragonzord." Rita said calmly.

"... How can I know to trust you?" Zordon asked.

"After the battle, I will meet you by the waters where the Dragonzord's resting place is. I will then give you the Dragon Dagger and Coin and surrender myself into your hands. You may bring as much back up as you want." Rita said.

Zordon looked to those with him in the room. Alpha 4 was in a corner, moaning with fear. He looked at them, and they all had looks on their faces saying to not trust her. Zordon closed his eyes and groaned. "We'll see, Rita. If you deliver on your end about battling Cyclopsis, then I'll consider your offer."

From the shadows outside Finster's lab, Darkonda listened. _Perfect. Time to launch my plans. This will take care of both Zordon_ _and_ _Rita!_

"Okay... And Zordon? I'm sorry about everything." Rita said.

Zordon scoffed and turned off the communication. We stood up and turned to those in the main room with him. He wore a look of concern on his person.

"Now what?" Dimitria asked.

"We wait. We can't take on Cyclopsis. I don't remember where the Zordina Megazord is, and even if we had it, w don't have enough people to pilot it. We're in trouble." Zordon stated.

"So we trust Rita?" Gosei asked.

"No. I have zord capabilities. I will go and face Cyclopsis _and_ Dragonzord." Robo Knight said.

"No, Robo Knight. Your zord properties haven'.t been tested yet. I have no idea what will happen to you if you try and morph." Gosei said.

"I do not care. I am a guardian of the Earth. I will do all I can to protect it." Robo Knight declared.

Zordon nodded. "I agree."

Trinity nodded as well. "I think this is for the best. I just saw Robo Knight take out a Monster that a group of Rangers, four Masters of the Order of the Claw, and a squad of Animal Warriors could not defeat. I trust him."

Gosei looked at Robo Knight and sighed. _Maybe I did too good a job at programming you to be as noble as possible. I mean... You_ _were_ _patterned after the greatest knight I have ever known, my father Koragg... I just hope you don't fall in battle like he did..._

"Well, Gosei? Do you think he's ready?" Dimitria asked.

Gosei nodded. "Yes. I think he can do it. If he can get his zord function to work, I think he can do it."

At that, an alarm blared. Alpha 4 jumped up, startled. "Ay-yi-yi! What is that!?"

Gosei frowned. "That's the alarm for the Greatest Treasure... Someone is getting close to it. I need to go."

"I'm going, too." Trinity said, not so much asking as informing.

"Uh..." Gosei said, looking at Zordon.

Zordon smiled and nodded. "She's a Morphing Master. She needs to be let in the know sometime. Right, Master Trinity?"

Trinity smiled and ran up to Zordon, giving him a hug. "I'll be right back. See ya soon, Honey."

"Good luck. I'll monitor things from here." Zordon said. He waved goodbye as Trinity and Gosei walked into the portal, toward the battle against Bansheera and Camille.

"What now, Zordon?" Alpha 4 asked, standing next to Robo Knight.

Zordon sighed. "We wait to see if and when Cyclopsis will attack. Then... You do your thing Robo Knight."

Robo Knight nodded. "I will not let the planet down. I will fight for the safety of everyone on Earth. I am Earth's Defender, and I will never surrender."

Zordon nodded. "Well, let's just hope Lord Zedd and Rita don't have that same determination."

. . .

A group of scientists from Krypton were sent to investigate the explosion that had occurred near their red sun. They didn't know that it was caused by the end of an ancient Demon being destroyed by his oldest living rival. All they knew was that the explosion had done considerable damage to the opening to the Phantom Zone, releasing sixteen dangerous criminals, and also causing their sun to act oddly.

As the scientists walked out of their ship, near where they calculated the explosion had originated, the first thing they saw was the broken remnants of the monolith that had once held Michael, the Ethereal King.

"Interesting..." The main scientist said. Wearing radiation suits, the four man team began walking toward the broken vessel.

As they approached, they began to take out their equipment from the cart one of them had been pushing. The main scientist grabbed a giant spike and stabbed it into the ground. An electric impulse shot out from it and deep into the crust, where they hoped to find out how deep the monolith was into the ground. What they didn't know was that the spike awoke something more powerful than they could have imagined.

The beast under the crust opened his eyes. He could feel power seeping through the ground. He had been asleep for a long time, having been defeated in battle millions of years earlier. The power from the spike, however, was enough to awoken his old body and revitalize him with his Spirit. He groaned as he began to dig his way up.

"Guys..." One of the scientists said. "There's something moving below the surface... And it's coming up fast!"

Before they could run, the massive grey skinned beast shot out from the ground. Future: Omega Ranger stared at him and recognized him from the previous file entry, even with the differences in the creature's anatomy. His skin was covered in giant spikes that protruded out from his body. He stared at the Kryptonian scientists and let out a bloodcurdling cry.

"What is that thing!?" The main scientist screamed.

The being Future: Omega Ranger had known as Cub grunted. He ran forward as he saw the four scientists. The last thing he had known in his previous life was being attacked and destroyed. Unfortunately for the four scientists, he thought they were with those who had destroyed him millions of years ago. Once he got to them, he promptly began to destroy them.

. . .

Floating in space, Gaia Green looked at the Dark Fortress with dread. He remembered his last visit there a very short time before. _Has it been only a day? Two? A week? I... Things have been going so fast. I can't tell... I've lost all track of time._

He pressed his hands on his suit and began trying to smooth out the wrinkles, out of nervousness. Gaia Blue looked at him and laughed, shaking his head. "For as long as I've known you, you have done that. Why?"

"It's because it's... wiggly..." Gaia Green replied.

Gaia Yellow piped in. "Wiggly? What does that mean!?"

Gaia Green shrugged. "You know... Wiggly. It's when something isn't skin tight. It leaves folds and stuff. I'm trying to get the suit to stick like a second skin."

Gaia Black decided to jump in at that point. "Wait... You're saying this _spandex_ isn't skintight enough for you!?"

"Hey! Get off my case! I don't think it's skintight. That's my opinion. Besides... This is armor created from Morphing Energy... it's not spandex..." Gaia Green said in reply.

Gaia Pink sighed. "Okay, it's nice that we are getting our minds off the task at hand, but... well... It _is_ the task at hand."

Gaia Red clenched his fist as he floated forward, ahead of the group. The Red Energy caused by his rage was so intense it physically changed the color of his wings from semi-transparent to a fire red. "These Demons have ruined so many lives... Including mine! Let's make sure they never hurt anyone again..."

The Gaia Rangers shot forward. As they did, Gaia Pink took out her Power Card. "Okay, guys. This is our first battle with our team completely uninhibited by the influence of Black Energy. Are you ready to sync our powers!?"

"Haha! Let's do it!" Gaia Yellow screamed. She and the rest of the team pulled out their Power Cards. Within moments, White Energy encircled the entire team as they blew through the outer hull of the Dark Fortress, crashing into one of the hallways. They had decided to not go through a wall, to cause chaos and confusion upon their arrival.

The Gaia Rangers saw many Demons and Monsters, from Bansheera and the Dark Fortress respectively, clawing at each other. Some Monsters were so powerful the Gaia Rangers could see them striking down Demons around them, regardless of them not having anything on them that Demons were weak to. On the other hand, many of the Monsters did not have any protection from Demon possession. As some Demons took advantage of the situation, entering and possessing many Monsters, Gaia Red let out a groan of anger.

"Leave them alone! Free will is nothing to be tampered with!" The Red Ranger screamed, rushing forward. His Dragon Spirit emanated from him as he slashed his sword, infused with White Energy. With one strike, he destroyed a possessed Monster as it charged at him.

"Gaia Power Rangers! Hiyah!" The other five rangers cried out simultaneously. They rushed forward as well and began fighting the beasts around them.

King Sphinx began sprinting toward Gaia Blue. _I've lost my kingdom and I am close to the bottom of the totem pole in Dark Specter's new army. I will not fail him now! I will prove my worth! I will destroy these Power Rangers!_

Gaia Blue turned and saw the massive beast run toward him. He scoffed. "Shark Bowgun! Hah!"

King Sphinx got hit in the chest with a White Energy infused water blast. He howled in pain and he staggered back. He suddenly heard a cry from above him.

"Wind Drive!" Gaia Pink shouted. King Sphinx flew through the air from the attack, being picked up and thrown about. He found it ironic, since it was one of his main forms of fighting being used on himself.

Gaia Black and Gaia Green ran forward. They pointed their weapons at King Sphinx.

"You're going down!" Gaia Black shouted. He twirled around on one toe and got into his signature "presentation stance". "Snake Axe!"

Gaia Green gripped his weapon. "Dolphin Grenade Launcher! Get in position, Guy!"

Gaia Black began running ahead as several grenades launched from the Green Ranger's weapon. Within moments, the Black Ranger began swinging his weapon like a baseball bat, hitting each grenade and sending them faster to King Sphinx, mixing his power in with that of the Green Ranger's.

 _No! My empire! It can't end like this!_ King Sphinx thought. As each grenade hit him, he slowly fell to his knees. Energy crackled around him as he lost conscious. In a matter of moments after his collapse, he exploded into a ball of flames.

All around the ship, Monsters and Demons alike met their end against the Power Rangers. The fighting was intense, and kept the rangers on their feet. Before long, between the evil creatures wiping each other out, and the Gaia Rangers taking care of those left behind, there were hardly any of either army left.

"... Ugh..." Gaia Red moaned rather audibly. He dropped his sword and fell to his knees in exhaustion. He had fought harder than his entire team.

Gaia Pink looked at him. Even though she, herself, had grand notions of vengeance on her mind due to having lost her friends for two thousand years, she had not battled as hard as the former carrier of Beelzebub's avatar.

Before the rangers could regroup, a voice blasted down the hallway. "I appreciate the help, Rangers. Now that you're all puckered out, though... I believe I will end your existence myself."

The team looked up to see Ecliptor walking toward them. Ecliptor pointed a blade at them and laughed. "Prepare to meet your doom!"

"Not a chance!" A new voice declared. The Rangers stared as someone flew through a wall of the Dark Fortress. He had his back turned to them as he stared at the Cyborg/Demon. He carried a mighty white sword in his right hand. He wore a long white cloak with a hood over his head. White Energy could be felt emanating from him.

"Who are you!?" Ecliptor demanded.

"I am Michael, King of the Ethereals. Prepare to be the first to fall in preparation for the Holy War!"

Nathadian Ranger looked on from his ship in silence. He then shook his head and pulled out his cylindrical communicator. "Okay... The Ethereals have approached the Dark Fortress, according to the most certain probability we predicted back in the Hall of Legends."

"How are _you_ doing? Is the suit holding up?" The Guardian asked.

"... I'm fine. I will let you know if things get bad." Nathadian Ranger replied. He looked down at the ruby on his chest, glowing with the Red Nathadian Magic.

"I will need to know as soon as possible if you start breaking down, understood? We can't jeopardize the mission." The Guardian stated. "And... I know you want to focus on the Holy War, but I have something I want you to do first."

"What is more important than the Holy War right now!?" Nathadian Ranger asked, annoyed.

Guardian laughed. "I know how important the Holy War is to you. Please don't think that. I am only requesting you to back off to go and check on September, the Rogue Watcher. I found him."

Nathadian Ranger sighed under his long hood. "Really? We actually have a track on him? That means..."

"Yes, the Freelancers are on his tail, too. That will also mean that _at least_ the Watcher December will be there, too." Guardian said.

Nathadian Ranger looked from Earth, to the Dark Fortress as the legion of Ethereals began to surround it, and back to Earth. "Alright. I'm heading down. I'll try and secure September, but I'm coming back as soon as I can. I can't let the Holy War play out like you predicted!"

"I know, I know. Trust me: September is very important for the future of the Multiverse. There is much evil coming from all over the multiverse, and I see the greatest probability of success coming from September than any other person, save Zordon himself." The Guardian said.

"What about those other guys you mentioned? The leaders of the Legendary Ones? Jason? Tommy? Billy?" Nathadian Ranger asked.

"Every person is important and they will all add their importance to the war against evil, but there are a select few like September and Zordon that without whom... the others will not have anyone to build off. You are one of them, Sam. That is why I picked you to take over for me in the Hall of Legends."

"Huh? Why did you call me 'Sam'? 'Take over for you'? What are you talking about?" Nathadian Ranger asked.

"That was a message for someone else. Do not worry about it now, I will explain later. Just... go and secure September. If the Freelancers get him again, he won't escape their prison again." The Guardian said.

Nathadian acknowledged and signed off. He pointed his invisible ship to Earth and blasted toward the location he was given, to save the Rogue Watcher September. As he did, Future: Omega Ranger took his fingers off his keyboard and sat back in a daze.

"Was that guy talking about you, Sam!?" Sophie asked.

Omega nodded. "Yes. He was the guy that people keep mentioning created this place. Uh... You weren't here for that explanation... He was a fisherman in one point in time who discovered the Power Eggs at sea. Long story short, he used one and created the Hall of Legends and gave himself ranger-like powers to defeat Bansheera. During his time she had joined the Orb of Doom with the Zeo Crystal and the Corona Aurora to create something she called the Extreme Crystal. The radiation from the crystal mutated her into a godlike sorceress and she gave herself the name Ultimecia. The fisherman gave himself the name of The Guardian and battled her for a very long time. He one day confronted her but lost in battle, which caused Earth's destruction. He said from that point onward, he stayed in the Hall of Legends and eventually was able to find an algorithm that helped him predict time. He then one day discovered that Zordon was the key to fixing the timeline. He went back in time, caused Zordon to become a Morphing Master instead of Burai, and well... that's the timeline we are currently watching."

"Whoa... That is one intense story. That's pretty crazy he time traveled to fix everything. The universe must have been very bad off for him to go to such extremes." Sophie said.

Omega nodded. "Yeah, but the universe was doomed anyway. I wouldn't count that as a genocide personally. They were doomed anyway."

"Yeah, but... for him to know that when he went back in time he would destroy all of those Spirits when he overwrote the old timeline..."

"You know, Sophie... He mentioned that there were forces coming from around the multiverse. Perhaps he saw that our universe was important in helping the rest of the multiverse survive against these threats..." Omega conjectured, standing up from his station.

"And maybe it is one of those threats that has attacked SPD... Sam, this is bigger than we thought. And where are you going?" Sophie said, the realization dawning on her.

"I'm going to see if Alpha Ranger is done with August and Gosei. And Sophie? About figuring out what's going on, I have a feeling we've only hit the tip of the iceberg..."


	35. Part 0 - Chapter 18: A New Status Quo

**Chapter Eighteen: A New Status Quo**  
*special guest author: coolbluetj from Rangerboard

As Future: Omega Ranger made his way to the stone foyer that comprised the portal room of the Hall of Legends, he could hear voices echoing down. He slowed down and stopped, listening in on the conversation:

"Okay, Gosei. I am sorry I cannot pinpoint if she is actually more important than the rangers, but due to the unpredictable nature of the universe due to the Jumper JB, I cannot predict anything. I will do the best I can to allow you to see both Jezebel and the rangers." August was heard as saying.

As August whipped out his palm device, Future: Omega Ranger decided to make himself known. "Wait! Two things: did I just hear you say 'JB'!? As in the guy from my SPD tech group? Also... Alpha Ranger was able to get the gear for us to escape!? Sophie!? Do you hear this!?"

Sophie let out a sigh of relief in his helmet. "Thank goodness. At least I won't have to deal with this firewall anymore. The circuits in my brain hurt..."

August sighed. "The one you know as Alpha Ranger has stated it has something to do with our mass: The two of us entered, creating a hole in the defenses of the Hall of Legends. He said only we can leave. As for the Jumper, I know little about him. I know he left your universe and went to Gosei's. I was charged with capturing him to uphold the Pattern, but I was unable to due to September protecting him. I believe Gosei would be able to inform you more about how he is doing on a personal level."

"JB came to my reality via a dimensional shift from a plane of existence known as Toku. In that world rangers fight for sport. Through not understanding his Zenith Ranger powers he wound up in the middle of an alley way. Soon the major threat in my reality, General Nek, went after him. We were able to extract him, he has been an ally of ours ever since. I began studying his powers with the intention of returning him to his original reality." Gosei said.

Omega Ranger stared at Gosei in confusion. "But August said he was from my universe... It isn't the same guy, then..." Omega was also frustrated with the news that he was stuck in the Hall. The false Hope caused him to become deflated.

August shook his head. "It is, Hall guardian. He was sent from your universe by some sort of energy signature to the one Gosei said. He then found himself in Gosei's universe, where we began tracking him. And he is not the only one who was shot out across the multiverse. There are others, and they are being hunted by Freelancers and Watchers as well."

Future: Omega Ranger nodded. "I wonder how they got caught up in this... This attack is worse than I thought. August, if you have truly changed your ways... could you please help them get home?"

August looked at the ranger and nodded himself. "I will do what I can."

Future: Omega Ranger then turned to Gosei. "Gosei... When you see JB again, could you let him know you met me? Tell him I'm alright and that whoever he may have seen attacking SPD wasn't me. Please?"

Gosei answered him in the affirmative. Omega then watched as August typed in something in his palm device. He looked to Omega and nodded as light began to wrap around both Gosei and him. "Good luck, Hall guardian. We may meet again someday."

And like that, Future: Omega Ranger was alone again.

As he made his way back to his workstation, Sophie asked him: "Why don't you go and speak with Alpha Ranger? He was able to get those two out of here. He can do something for you, too!"

"I will... After this. I feel a vision coming on for the Zero File. With how Alpha Ranger reacted last time with me wanting to talk about escaping here and not doing a file entry first, I figured I'd skip that for now and get it done first. Then I'll go to the Inner Sanctum and see what's going on." Future: Omega Ranger said. He sighed as he plopped down on his chair and began typing what the vision in his head, caused by his Third Eye ability, was showing him.

. . .

Lothor made his way back to the Great City. He looked at how, after the debacle that was his "grand opening", the city looked tattered and destroyed. He shrugged it off casually and teleported to his room.

He looked through the chest in his room and laughed as he pulled out the Sword of Darkness, a weapon that existed simply to amplify dark powers. It's evil power was one that he had felt finally become saturated within him. He then looked through each of the other items in the chest and considered them, and their role in "his" master plan.

The master plan was one that had a simple goal, according to Lothor's knowledge of it: suck the energy from the universe completely, to become the God of Magic. To become the God of Magic, one would need to drain the Universal Magic Grid. The Grid is extremely difficult to contain in oneself, however, and it would be necessary to follow certain steps to do so, which is what the plan was set up to facilitate.

According to the plan, Lothor would use one of the two Power Eggs created from the lifeforce of different beings in the universe, which was one of his temple's uses. One Power Egg would be used to reach a to completely tap the Magic Grid to become the God of Magic. From there, the other steps of the plan would have already been implemented, so the God of Magic would leave the husk of the universe to the side and move onto a new universe to repeat the process again by wishing himself out of the universe with the second Power Egg. After that, in the new universe, the plan would be much simpler due to the user, in this case Lothor, having already become the God of Magic.

At that thought, Lothor frowned. _If only I had been allowed to finish what I had started before...!_

He thought of how he had been attempting to set the plan into motion in his home universe, but Rumple had betrayed him and interrupted the process. He clenched his fist in anger at the thought. He had decided to execute the plan as much as he could, only being able to temporarily become the God of Magic with his semi-powered Power Egg, to defend himself against Rumple. Using the other Power Egg, he transported himself and Regina out to the universe he at that point found himself in, destroying the universe as he left out of spite with the remaining God of Magic powers he had. Without the rest of the equation, his body had not been primed enough to maintain his short lived status as God of Magic, so he figured he would use the powers while he had them.

Lothor was still impressed that Rumple had somehow been able to escape that universe and follow Lothor in the new one he was currently in. He knew the powerful wizard, the man also known as the Dark One, would be wanting to find him for revenge. Lothor hoped he could execute as much of the plan as he could before the eventual showdown would occur.

Reaching for the first weapon in the chest, he looked the Sword of Light. There was a simple tactic behind it: once Lothor had finished his work with whatever he needed his followers to complete, such as Zurgane or any of the Morphing Masters, Lothor would use the Sword of Light to transfer their powers from the Morphing Grid to himself. Their combined taps to the Morphing Grid would give him enough taps that he would be able to overwhelm the Morphing Grid and possess it, absorbing it into himself.

To ensure losing their tap to the Morphing Grid did not cause the Hope portion of the Emotional Spectrum to drop, the sword would allow his generals to keep a copy of their powers for a limited amount of time. The false Hope it would give them would then be cultivated by Lothor before his generals' Hope was lost.

The next item was the Cannon of Ki. Before becoming the God of Magic, Lothor would use the cannon to channel the energy of the Emotional Spectrum into himself. At that point, he would have sapped the entire universe of its energy, leaving his body primed to use one Power Egg to become the God of Magic before using the second to transport to a new universe.

Lothor then grabbed the Savage Sword, along with another item called the Eye of the Sea, and thought bitterly about losing the Crystal of Doom. As he had explained to Ivicar, the duo artifacts were used in conjunction to revert a planet to its primordial state, making the Spirits and Lifestream on the planet "fresh" to power Lothor enough in preparation to becoming the God of Magic. The Eye of the Sea would be used to control the waters of the planet, to help Lothor when he would initially descend upon the planet. It was to help defeat any armies on the planet and to cause panic.

The next item had already been used up in this round of the Eternal Spiral, which was the actual name of the plan that Lothor did not wish to use, because it reminded him of the man he thought of only as "the fool scientist" who had engineered the plan. The item was called the God Eye. It had the ability to grant any one person who held it a wish. Although a tempting item, for the plan to work and allow Lothor to tap not only into the Morphing Grid, but also the universe's lifeforce, the plan specifically stated that the wish to be requested would need to be to "invite the Law of Greater Powers" into the universe. This would be needed because teams of people working in unison with a common power source did not create a team's "Greater Power" in nature. But, with the God Eye, that law would be introduced into the universe, allowing for Greater Powers to exist. Once the God Eye was used, Lothor or anyone else would only be allowed to use it again in the next universe, since the Eye resets every time it enters a new universe.

Greater Powers existing in the universe was important due to the necessity of the plan having the item called the Greatest Treasure in the Universe, which was the Greater Power of the Morphing Masters refined to a purer power by the temple, revealing also the temple's second use. The Greatest Treasure itself was designed to do two things. The first, according to the plan, would be for Lothor to wish he had access to the Emotional Spectrum. The second purpose was something inherently programmed into the Greatest Treasure: that all connected to it as their Greater Power, namely Lothor's Morphing Masters, would be erased from history. All connected, except for who requested the wish, who would in that case be Lothor.

The timing of the Eternal Spiral was important. If Lothor activated the Greatest Treasure too early he would be unable to drain the universe of all of its available power. For one, if he did it before using the Sword of Light, then he would have lost his only opportunity to take the Morphing Grid for himself, because the Morphing Masters would no longer exist in history. There would be no one to use the Sword of Light on.

Another problem that could arise would be if he activated the Greatest Treasure too early, Regina would be erased before he would have the opportunity to tell her he would not bring her son, Henry, back. That portion of the plan was essential in overflowing the Violet portion of the Emotional Spectrum.

The Emotional Spectrum was quite important, because it was the portion of the universe that led directly to the universe's core. If the spectrum ever became full, or each portion of the spectrum maxed out, then Lothor would be able to not only channel all of that energy, he would be able to use that energy to drain energy from the very core of the universe.

Outside of the Red (Rage), Orange (Greed), Yellow (Fear), Green (Willpower), Blue (Hope), Indigo (Compassion), and Violet (Love) Energies Lothor had described to Ivicar, there were two other portions of the Emotional Spectrum he had not told to Ivicar. They were the White and Black Energies. Each governed opposite sides of the spectrum, White being associated with a love of life and the other being associated with a love of death. The White Energy would be spiked due to the rebirth of the universe without the Morphing Masters after using the Greatest Treasure, and the Black Energy due to the massive fatalities caused by Lothor's destructive acts.

The chronology of events was planned to go as such: Lothor would use the God Eye to bring Greater Powers to pass. He would then recruit people who had an unnatural affinity to the Morphing Grid to be a team of Morphing Masters, ensuring certain characteristics were in the team to help max out the Emotional Grid. He would then cause each Morphing Master to donate their powers to create the Greatest Treasure in the Universe. Following, he would create some sort of event where he could siphon lifeforce from a diversity of universal beings to create the Power Eggs. Once Lothor had done those things, he would go across the universe and drain enough Lifestream and Spirit Energy into himself using the Savage Sword and the Crystal of Doom, augmented with the Sword of Darkness and the Eye of the Sea, so his body would begin to get used to such power. From there, he would tell the one who was chosen to overflow the Violet Energy (in this, the first cycle, it would be Regina) the news that would trigger the great feeling of the loss of Love. He would then use the Sword of Light on each Morphing Master to gain access to the Morphing Grid before using the Greatest Treasure in the Universe to gain access to the Emotional Spectrum. From there he would use the Cannon of Ki to drain the Emotional Spectrum that he had gained access to, then using that new power to suck the universe's core dry. Afterward, Lothor would use a Power Egg, having become saturated with the rest of the universe's power, to tap into the Universal Magic Grid to become the God of Magic. Once completed, he would use the final Power Egg to open a portal to the next closest universe. After that first round of the Spiral, using his new God of Magic powers would make each successive round easier and easier, eternally taking the powers of the multiverse for himself.

Lothor chuckled to himself. He already had the Power Eggs and the Greatest Treasure completed. He then grew angry: He would have already begun the process with the Savage Sword and Crystal of Doom had Beelzebub not taken the Crystal from him, turning it into the Orb of Doom and the Jewels of the Corona Aurora. He needed to get those two pieces back before he could finalize his plans, and the universe he was in.

 _I already have Ivicar on Tidus to get back the smaller fragments. I suppose it is on me and Zurgane to hunt down that large demon thing and get the larger piece back..._ Lothor thought.

Clutching the Sword of Darkness in one hand, he picked up the Sword of Light and placed it in a hilt on his belt. He then picked up the Eye of the Sea, slipping it into a pocket before lifting up the Cannon of Ki. He tapped into his Zocato power and teleported out to the main foyer of the Great City.

"Zurgane? Zurgane!?" Lothor screamed. His voice echoed throughout the abandoned city.

"Master! You have returned! I awaited your arrival." Zurgane said, running from a chamber tower and to Lothor. He fell to a knee before him.

Putting the Cannon of Ki down, Lothor pulled the Sword of Light out of his hilt and handed it to Zurgane. "Take this. I need your help."

Zurgane nodded and stood, grabbing the sword as Lothor hoisted the Cannon back over his shoulder. The scene was odd if anyone had been watching, seeing a rather skinny and lanky clown carrying a giant bazooka like cannon on his shoulder, brandishing a sword in his free hand.

"What are we to do, Master Lothor?" Zurgane asked, gripping the Sword of Light tight.

Lothor giggled maniacally. "We are going to find the Crystal of Doom, Zurgane! I can feel it on Earth as we speak! We are going to go, cause a lot of damage and pain, then get my artifact back... then? Rinse and repeat on a universal scale! AH-HAHAHAHA!"

Lothor and Zurgane then walked out of the Great City gates, needing to walk to ensure Lothor didn't have any disruptions when trying to triangulate the Orb of Doom's location. As they did, Master Xandred emerged from the shadows, having left the Netherworld earlier to find Dai Shi and Octomus once again. He had been itching to end his battle with them. Seeing Lothor had left, and having a vague recollection of his face and that he was powerful, he knew he did not need to wait any longer to walk around the Great City.

Master Xandred walked about the city, curious as to why he recognized some things. Before long, he found himself in Lothor's room, which he carelessly left unprotected in his haste to find Beelzebub. The only thing that caught Xandred's eye was a sword that was lying on the floor outside the chest. He bent over and picked it up.

"Ha! I feel such power! I will use this weapon to strike down all those who stand in my way!" Master Xandred proclaimed, lifting the Savage Sword high above his head.

. . .

Octomus bit down hard, clenching his jaw as he fought another wave of pain. Ever since the Nighlok Magic had hit him, he had noticed unusual swelling occurring in different parts of his body. He didn't know that the mutations on a cellular level were speeding up, and that (based on a scan that Future: Omega Ranger ran over Octomus) the mutations he was experiencing would be the ones that would lead to him losing his humanoid form and transform him into the being known in later times as "The Master".

He looked at the recently animated being before him. His guess had been correct and in the land he had dubbed the Magic Realm, his magical powers were greater than ever before, even so much to allow his Magic to access the horrible Black Energy of the Emotional Spectrum, making his ability to perform necromancy a reality.

The creature shrieked, causing Dai Shi to cover his ears. "Geez! Calm down! Are you sure I need to work with this thing!?"

Octomus nodded. "Yes. Shrieker gives off a very... distrustful vibe to me. I want you to supervise her as I go with Tycon to the surface of the main plane of Earth as well."

"So, the plan again is for the two of us to go and cause a distraction outside the Great City while you storm it for the Greatest Treasure, correct?" Dai Shi asked, eyeing Shrieker with annoyance.

"Yes. I don't want to test our luck against Lothor one on one, so this seems to be the smartest course of action." Octomus explained, still fighting back pain.

"Okay. I'm ready." Dai Shi said.

"I'm ready to do thy bidding, Master..." Shrieker declared.

Morticon saluted Octomus and Dai Shi by crossing an arm across his chest. "Let us go forth and get the Greatest Treasure!"

Octomus waved a hand and a portal appeared, leading to outside the Great City. "Let us go, then. And everyone... stay on your guard."

Once outside the city, Dai Shi parted ways with Octomus and walked out to his predetermined location. It was one that they had picked because it would be directly in the line of vision of Lothor's room atop his tower.

"Do your thing." Dai Shi commanded.

Shrieker nodded. "Shriek Attack!"

A powerful Magical shriek erupted from the monster's vocal chords. Dai Shi watched as a force field appeared around the tower, as Octomus had predicted.

"Now all we do is wait for Lothor to show himself. Then, I state the incantation Octomus gave me and we are teleported back to the Magic Realm." Dai Shi stated.

Suddenly, Dracul and Mesogog emerged from the woods beside Shrieker and Dai Shi. Mesogog folded his arms and shook his head. "What are you doing?"

Dai Shi pulled out a small razor and curled a lip in anger. "None of your business. Move along, lizard boy."

At that, Dracul flexed his muscles and popped his neck. "Mesogog asked you a question, fool. Now... answer!"

Dai Shi snapped a finger and Shrieker launched a shriek attack against Dracul and Mesogog. Before the two could react, Geki and Mei jumped out from their hiding places. Geki thrust the Shield of Triumph out and blocked the attack.

"Dino Guardians!?" Mesogog said in shock.

As he did, from a different direction, Dan, Goushi, and Boi also jumped out, meeting the rest of the team as they stared at Dai Shi.

Goushi then nodded. "We are here to make sure you guys are safe... What were you doing heading out of the complex!?"

"It doesn't matter what they were doing, because you all are done for anyway..." Dai Shi stated with an air of arrogance. The razor in his hand began to glow with Morphing Energy as he brought it up in a threatening manner.

Dan frowned. "He feels pretty strong, guys... We may have to up our game..."

Boi laughed. "Don't worry. I came prepared this time. I brought 'back-up'."

Dai Shi sneered. "Shut up and get out of here, or face us in a fight."

"I'll tear you all apart!" Shrieker cried out. She then shot out another attack at the Dino Guardians and the Dinomen behind them.

"Stand back, Mesogog and Dracul. We got this." Geki ordered.

Mesogog shot a look at the Great City. _But I'm so close..._

"Now!" Mei screamed. The two Dinomen sneered and retreated.

As they ran, Dracul looked to Mesogog. "Now what?"

"Hopefully they destroy each other. Let us just go a ways and wait to see the results of their conflict..." Mesogog said.

After a few yards, they ducked behind some brush and began spying on the fight. They were impressed that the Human, Dai Shi, was actually doing well against the Dino Guardians, while alongside Shrieker.

"Power of the Dragon Spirit!" Dai Shi cried out. A massive translucent, golden dragon erupted from within him and began slashing at the Guardians with ferocity.

Boi shook his head. "This guy has some tricks up his sleeve! Well I have one, too!"

Mei turned to look at Dan as she used her bow in a sword like manner to parry a punch from Shrieker, as Goushi swung his axe on Shrieker from behind. "You mean you brought that sword!? Geki hasn't had a chance to bond with it yet!"

Boi focused his Magic and caused the massive sword to appear in his hands, having cast a spell on it before leaving to track Mesogog and Dracul. "Geki! Catch!"

The user of the Tyrannosaurus Spirit reached up and grabbed the weapon, known amongst the Dino Guardian community as the Wild Sword. Geki looked at it with hesitation. He knew a bond needed to be forged with it before he used it, but he feared Dai Shi too much to risk not using the weapon, especially when Dai Shi manifested his Dragon Spirit, which was one of the most powerful of the Animal Spirits. Geki was the one to use the weapon because, of the five of them, his T-Rex was the closest to the Dragon Spirit.

"Wild Sword! Grant me your Ultra powers!" Geki screamed. The Dragon head at the end of the weapon screamed and gold light shot from it. "Time to fight fire with fire."

Dai Shi laughed. "Are you sure you want to use the Dragon Spirit? It may be more than you can handle, boy. Ahh!"

Geki found himself covered in the golden light. He looked down and found a golden armor on his chest materializing. He then ran forward to meet Dai Shi. As he did, however, the Wild Sword began to roar.

"Huh!?" Geki said in fright. He felt the Wild Sword leap from his hands and race forward to Dai Shi.

"Haha!" Dai Shi proclaimed as he saw the Wild Sword approach him. "Your Animal Spirit was too weak for him! He feels my might Dragon Spirit and is coming to choose me as his- huh!?"

Before Dai Shi could finish monologuing his apparent triumph, he was slashed hard by the Wild Sword. He fell to the ground in pain. As he looked to where the majority of his pain was originating, he saw blood oozing from a severe gash on his chest.

"Dragon Spirit! Defend me!" Dai Shi shouted. He watched as his Dragon Spirit erupted from his body and began combatting the Wild Sword. He then watched in horror as the Wild Sword stabbed his Dragon Spirit. As it did, they both began glowing an amazing gold color.

"AHHH!" Dai Shi screamed. He could feel his Animal Spirit being damaged by the Wild Sword. What he did not know was that the Wild Sword's Dragon Spirit was having an odd interaction with his own Animal Spirit, because they were both Dragons. The Wild Sword was corrupting and mutating Dai Shi's Dragon Spirit to be more like itself: powerful, aggressive, and mighty.

The Wild Sword roared and dislodged itself from Dai Shi's Spirit and flew off in a blinding speed. Dai Shi then screamed in pain as his Dragon Spirit entered him. Almost instantly, his skin began to fall off and be replaced by golden scales.

"What is happening to him!?" Goushi said, running over to help Geki up as Dan, Mei, and Boi battled Shrieker.

"It's like... he's mutating!" Geki said in horror.

Several necks sprouted from Dai Shi's upper body. From each neck, dragon heads formed magically, each having a separate mind, but not sentient. Dai Shi's neck itself stretched as well, golden scales replacing his flesh as it fell off. Horrible crunching noises could be heard as Dai Shi's Human face stretched and elongated. His teeth fell from his mouth and made a disturbing pile on the ground as fangs grew in place.

In a menacing voice, the being Future: Omega Ranger recognized as the Dai Shi he had first come to know in Files Two and Three pointed a scale covered hand at the Dino Guardians. "I... I don't know what that freaky shovel did to me... But... I _like_ it. As a thank you, I will make you five the first to feel my awesome power!"

"Triassic Shield!" Geki shouted to his teammates. He produced the Shield of Triumph as his teammates lined up in twos, staggered, behind him. They gave their Dino Spirits to the Shield and he began glowing in the Triassic Power.

"Hmm... Interesting power up. You probably should've used that instead of your silly shovel against me. That _really_ backfired, huh? RAWR!" He screamed. Shrieker laughed as she picked herself up, running over to Dai Shi's side.

"Okay, Geki. It's up to you! Good luck!" Goushi said.

Geki nodded. "Time to clean house! Hiyah!"

Mesogog and Dracul watched as Triassic Geki gripped his Triassic Shield that had fused with his sword before running to meet his opponents. While they watched, someone tapped Mesogog on the shoulder.

"What!?" Mesogog shouted, jumping up. He turned to see to his surprise App, Jor, Ivicar, and Jakon standing behind him.

"Oh! Sorry to startle you! I am App. I don't know if you recognize as... We are members of the Morphing Masters. Our ship just had an odd malfunction and we crashed about a mile away. We were walking back to the Great City but we spotted you over here and we were wanting to know if you have anything in your complex that could help us repair our vessel."

Mesogog looked at the four of them. Ivicar stood behind the trio, proud of himself. When no one had been monitoring him, he had slipped into the main engine of the ship and destroyed a few of the wires, forcing the ship to have an "emergency landing". He had wanted Tidus to accompany them so he could ambush him to take the Corona Aurora, but the group had decided to have Tidus stay behind for his own safety, since they presumed correctly that Lothor would want to target him for his power. To protect his cover, he went along with the plan.

"So... you are all Morphing Masters?" Mesogog said. He began thinking about how he could use them to get into the Great City.

"That's right!" Jor said proudly.

Jakon raised an eyebrow. "Yes, we already stated we were Morphing Masters. Why ask again?"

Mesogog laughed and leapt up, kicking App in the face. Jor dived behind him and caught him as they both fell to the dirt. Dracul extended his body up to its full height, causing him to tower over the four.

Ivicar and Jakon both got into fighting stances, ready to take on the Dinomen. As they did, App pulled himself up. "We... We need to take this to the next level. Jor? Jakon? We are going to need to tap into the powers of the Samurai!"

Mesogog laughed. "You do not know the power of the Dinosaurs. Are you sure you want to fight that?"

Jakon laughed. "Well, obviously they have been afraid of us, because they haven't shown their faces around here."

"There's a reason for that, Human... Dracul? Things are going to get... busy around here. I need you to go and find their ship for leverage. Now!" Mesogog ordered.

Dracul nodded and leapt up into the air. Before the four could react and give chase, Mesogog shot a curious green beam at them. As they fell to the ground, Mesogog laughed. "Fools! I am the head of the Dinomen! I have a deep connection to the Dinosaurs! I can send them away if I need, which I have been doing with my power over them, but now!? I have called for them! Prepare to meet your doom, Morphing Masters!"

As the four Morphing Masters began to prepare themselves to fight the hordes of Dinosaurs that Mesogog promised would arrive and enter their Samurai powers, Geki leapt into the air to strike at Shrieker. The undead beast was moving quicker than Dai Shi, since he was still not comfortable in his new body. At the moment when Geki and Shrieker were to meet in combat, a purple beam shot Geki and hit him in the chest.

"Huh!?" Dan asked, confused. He and the other Dino Guardians looked up in confusion. Floating in the sky above them were two beings. They saw that one was a member of the Dinoman species and did not recognize him. The other was Lije of the Dawn, carrying in her hands the Sword of Power.

"Why, hello. It is good to find you all in a similar disposition as of our last encounter..." The small child said creepily, purple Psychic Energy flowing from her eyes. "In other words, it is time for my revenge..."

. . .

September looked at August as they sat in the room together. He gave him a sad smile. "Why do you think I have done what I have done?"

"Because you are broken. Something with the Time Doors has caused your cerebral cellular make up to degenerate. You have gone mad." August explained simply, devoid of emotion.

"No... I am sane, August." September said, hoping to have his former comrade believe him.

"You are broken and are not aware that you actually are not sane." August stated simply.

"Let me tell you what happened, August. I was doing my work in the universe that was destroyed and segued into the universe where you caught me. While I was there, I had an epiphany thanks to a scientist I saw there. I realized suddenly that there had to be a reason for the Pattern, a thought I had never had before. August... why does the Pattern exist?"

"The Pattern exists to ensure universes go according to plan." August replied, as if he memorized the statement.

"What plan? Who is to say that there is a plan?" September asked, leaning over and eyeing August. "What is the goal, August?"

"To... I... I do what I'm told." August said. Something stirred inside of him though. He felt uneasy speaking to September suddenly.

"I thought about it, my friend-"

As September called August his "friend", August flinched. He had never been called such a familiar term.

"-and I started tracking things back. Deducing and calculating like we are supposed to, but not for the Pattern's future, but of its past! From our 'births' to the organizations sustaining the Pattern... I was able to peer through everything and backtrack and calculate... I discovered the existence of a being. I felt him... He was very powerful and dangerous. I could sense his name... He calls himself the Supreme." September ended, still staring at August.

August felt something strange at the name September uttered. "How did you do such a thing? Why have I not had these same impressions?"

"I do not know... Have you gone out of your way to search out the truth? You can only know the truth if you look for it." September said, pleased to see that August had begun to ask questions.

"... You say the Supreme is dangerous?" August asked.

"I can feel it... August, I calculated the Pattern out to many eons from now." September said.

As September mentioned that, the fire in August's eyes seemed to die. "September, it is protocol of the Watchers to not try and calculate the future of the Pattern, just what the Pattern needs to have going on in present times. If a Watcher attempts to calculate the entire Pattern, the complexity of the multiverse will scramble the Watcher's neural circuits and leave him insane. Thus we see the warning come to pass. You have calculated the-

"No. No."

"-Pattern out and it has left your brain-"

"No!"

"-scrambled and confused, creating conspiracy theories that do not exist."

"No! No! No!" September screamed, pounding the table between the two of the Watchers.

"You are not even in control of your emotions, September. Let me take you back to our universe so we can fix you... friend." August said.

September stared at August, not knowing if he should feel as if he was successful or not. _I obviously have had_ _some_ _impact on him._

September shook his head. "I'm sorry, August. I cannot comply."

August promptly stood up. "There will be no more visits. When you are ready for us to pick you up, then a Watcher or Freelancer will escort you home."

August then walked toward the door. Before he opened it, he looked over his shoulder and said, "I hope you make the right choice."

As August left the room, the mechanisms in the building began sucking September of his Lifestream to make him weak enough to be transported back to his cell. He fell to the ground in pain as he watched his Lifestream be ripped from him. He clenched his jaw in anger as his vision faded to black.

. . .

Cub landed on the planet. He made his way to Goresakubo and Azazel as they finished placing the monolith containing Michael in place.

"Teach me!" Cub stated innocently to the two Demons.

"Ah! What is that thing!?" Goresakubo shouted, pointing at Cub.

Azazel sneered and produced his three eyed scythe. "He seems very powerful. Be on your guard."

"I am to be the Ultimate!" Cub said with pride. He meant to inform them that he was solely there because he planned on building himself up to his "father's" expectations. The two Demons did not take his statement well, unfortunately for him.

"Is that right!? Well let's see how you do against this!" Azazel screamed, shooting a beam of Black Energy at Cub.

"Ahhh!" Cub screamed. His body had never felt the direct power of Death fall upon him. His body had not ever built itself up to take such damage.

Goresakubo then ran forward and punched Cub with a Black Energy enveloped fist. Cub fell to his back. As he did, he tried kicking Goresakubo away, but the Demon reverted to a spiritual form and was untouchable to Cub.

"What is this!?" Cub shouted, confused.

"This is your end, 'Ultimate'." Azazel said. He then pointed his scythe and shot a brilliant blast of power at Cub. It hit him and sent him flying deep into the planet. As that happened, Goresakubo used his powers to place the dirt over the hole, burying Cub alive.

"Now... that was unexpected." Azazel said. "Let us head back to Earth, then. I am sure Beelzebub is expecting us."

The two Demons then flew away, leaving both Michael and Cub stranded on the star, only to be discovered one hundred and sixty five million years into the future.

. . .

Zen looked down at the glowing green gem in his hands. He disconnected the nodes from its surface and looked at Lokar. "The Gem of Souls is ready, my assistant."

Lokar stared at the being before him. What made things more eerie for Lokar were the sunglasses Zen wore. Outside of knowing that he had, in essence, taken his soul away from him, those glasses stopped him from being able to look him in the eye. Lokar was one of those people who truly believed that the eyes were the windows to the soul.

Zen nodded. "I see you have nothing to say, assistant. Then let us go and get to work with this."

"Wait... Who are we to target?" Lokar asked.

"We are going to go to the Great City and see who of the Morphing Masters are still around. Then we will strike them, take their Lifestream, and power this thing up enough to take down Lothor. It will be a marvelous sight once we destroy him and take the Greatest Treasure for ourselves." Zen said, turning to walk toward the Great City.

 _Wait... Who's in control here?_ Lokar thought. He was frightened with the sudden change in demeanor that had occurred in Zen Aku after he had used the machinery to take out his soul along with the Werewolf disease. He didn't know what a soulless person was capable of, and what Zen's motives exactly were. He just hoped those motives weren't leading him down a path he hadn't expected.

. . .

As Dracul ran through the woods, he sniffed hard. Upon their first arrival in Mesogog's complex, he had sniffed each Morphing Master to recognize their scent. He was using this ability to be able to help him find the ship App had told him about, to capture them as per Mesogog's request. He didn't know why, exactly, but he did as he was told.

Suddenly, he found himself standing behind a great temple. It had odd markings around it. He grunted as he made his way around it, trying to figure out where the ship he had been sent to find was. As he moved around the temple, he suddenly found himself facing a group of people he had never seen before.

"Are you from this temple!?" Emma demanded, pointing her sword at Dracul.

Dracul sneered. "I know nothing of this temple. Who are you people!?"

"None of your business, beast. Move on." Rumple ordered.

"Do not speak to me in such a way. Do you understand?" Dracul asked, insinuating a threat.

Belle stood up and put her hands out in front of her. "Okay, everyone. We are all here and have nothing to do with each other. Let us all just go on our separate ways, okay?"

Dracul, now irritated with the Humans, folded his massive arms across him giant chest. "Fine. You leave now and leave me be."

Baelfire grunted. "Come on, man. We don't want any problems. We are actually about to go into that temple-"

"Too bad! You should've thought about that before your little friend mouthed off to me." Dracul said, pointing at Rumple.

"For crying out loud! Just buzz off you dumb animal!" Will said, throwing a stick at Dracul.

"Will! No!" Anastasia yelled, but too late. The stick hit Dracul on the shoulder and gently fell to the floor.

"Okay. My turn." Dracul said calmly. He turned around and ripped a tree out of the ground and hurled it at Will.

As it flew, both Rumple and Emma shot out beams of Magic that caught the tree midair.

"Impressive, Emma. You have caught on quite well..." Rumple said, smiling.

"Hmph. Magic. Let's see if your Magic can defend the lot of you from me..." Dracul said, cracking his neck. "This should be over quick."

"I highly doubt you-" Baelfire began.

Before he could finish, with near lightning speed, Dracul swept through the group and hit them all with his massive fists. Rumple barely had time enough to cast a Barrier spell, but it wasn't enough to stop them from crumpling to the ground.

Dracul laughed. "Interesting. You all survived... Maybe it is time I pulled out my weapon."

Rumple began pulling himself to his feet as he watched a golden light shine in Dracul's right hand. Suddenly, a white quill-like object was in the massive Dinoman's hand. Rumple did a Nathadian scan on it, feeling much power emanating off the "weapon".

"I see you are impressed with my weapon. I call it my Drago Sword." He looked down at it, continuing to speak to the Nathadian group as he reminisced. "I used to use it before I was employed by Mesogog... I was a professional fighter. They used to say whenever someone went on a "rampage", or winning streak, in the circuit that their streak would always end when they would need to battle me for the championship. I haven't used this thing since my battle days... hehe... I had a nickname back in those days."

Rumple and the others watched as Dracul pointed the tip of his Drago Sword into the air. He then gracefully began moving his arm and, as he did, a golden light emanated into the air. With each stroke of the quill, light stayed in the air and formed into cursive letters, in the alphabet accepted by the grand majority of the universe. They each stared at the word he had formed that hung in the air before him, shining in the beautiful golden letters.

Dracul placed a hand to his forehead and threw his chin out in the direction of the Nathadians. He then folded his arms and laughed. "As you can see, I still like to be 'showy' with my introductions. They used to call me the 'Rampage' Killer, or in another tongue... Abarekiller."


	36. Pt3Ch18CyclopsisvsDragonzordvsRoboKnight

**Chapter Eighteen: The Great Zord Battle - Cyclopsis vs. Dragonzord vs. Robo Knight**

Future: Omega Ranger made his way up the many platforms until he stood before the familiar portal which led to the Inner Sanctum of the Hall of Legends. As he stared at the door, it suddenly came to life. The familiar swirling green vortex popped up before him, inviting him to dive in.

"I'll be back, Sophie. Please keep trying to find out something." Future: Omega said.

"That's what we've been doing. Detective Utahime thinks she may have found something, but... who knows. Only time will tell. Good luck, Sam. I'll be waiting for you." Sophie said.

Omega nodded and stepped gingerly in the portal. As he did, he found himself on a new floating platform. Ranger statues could be seen going off into the distance. As Omega looked around, he saw a green lightning bolt drop down from the clouds.

"Omega Ranger... What are you doing in the Inner Sanctum?" Alpha Ranger asked, forming from the mass of green energy that descended.

"I want to know how you managed to get that other Gosei and the Watcher out of here, and why I couldn't go with them!" Future: Omega Ranger demanded, suddenly filled with a fury he didn't know he had within him over the subject.

Alpha Ranger folded his arms across his chest. "It is an equation. They came in and created a hole in the Hall of Legends. Only they could fill that hole, and that was by leaving. I charged the Watcher's palm device using the Greater Power of the Time Force Power Rangers. I can feel that they are on their way home now."

"Well, why can't you charge me with some Time Force Greater Power!?" Future: Omega Ranger demanded.

"It doesn't work like that. The Hall of Legends is closed off as of now. There are no exits. There are no entries. We are barely connected to your universe to begin with. Your greatest hope right now is to continue indexing. I see great wisdom in finishing that history." Alpha Ranger stated.

"What!? Why would Cruger want me to do this!?" Omega demanded angrily.

Alpha Ranger put out a hand. "Go back and work. Only visit me again once you finish File Zero. Now goodbye, Omega Ranger."

Before Future: Omega Ranger could react, a blast of green light erupted from Alpha Ranger, shooting Omega out of the Inner Sanctum and back to the top of the foyer.

"Are you okay!?" Sophie asked as the portal closed.

"No! He wouldn't give me a real answer! He said that it's 'wise' for me to keep indexing. What in the blazes does _that_ mean!?" Omega asked as he leapt down to the bottom level of the foyer room, rolling into a ball and leaping to his feet as he landed at the bottom.

"We'll figure something out, Sam. I promise. It's only a matter of time..." Sophie said.

"Yeah, and I don't think I have a lot of time left. Every second I'm stuck here, my friends in SPD are under attack. Every second I'm here, JB is stuck in another universe, as are who knows how many others." Omega said as he made his way to his Chrono Workstation.

"Then let's not waste anymore time. Are you having any visions?" Sophie asked.

"Nope. It's a straight up index. Computer, load where I last was on File Three." Future: Omega Ranger said.

As the computer loaded the file, he typed on his second monitor that he was beginning what he wrote as the eighteenth chapter of File Three. He popped his finger's knuckles and looked at the screen, ready to type what he saw.

. . .

Michael shot a bubble of White Energy at Ecliptor. The Cyborg/Demon rolled to his left and shot a blast of energy at the Ethereal King. As it sailed toward him, Castiel suddenly appeared and blocked the attack with a sword of his own.

Michael laughed. "Since when have you had a sword, Cass?"

"I grew accustomed after using yours for so long." Castiel said, smiling before flying to attack Ecliptor.

"King Mondo!? Are they ready!?" Ecliptor asked through his communication network.

Aboard his ship orbiting Earth after leaving the planet of Onyx, King Mondo laughed. "Yes, my associates ensured the production of my footsoldiers is complete! I am sending them now! Klank! Orbus! Send the Cogs to the Dark Fortress immediately!"

Aradon looked at the two scientists and clenched his fist. "You heard our king! Immediately!"

"Yes, your majesty! Right away!" Klank proclaimed, pulling levers and pushing buttons on his console frantically.

"Those attacking the Dark Fortress won't know what hit them!" Orbus said proudly.

Aboard the Dark Fortress, Ecliptor and a few other Demons and Monsters began attempting to defend themselves from the Ethereals while they swarmed into the ship. Ecliptor grunted as a White Energy blast hit him in the back.

"Agh! Ecliptor to Lord Zedd! I need your Putty Patrol immediately!" Ecliptor demanded.

On the Moon Palace, Lord Zedd sneered as he hears Ecliptor's pleas over Finster's radio. "I don't have time for this!"

Goldar approached Zedd, all the while eyeing his intended zord, Cyclopsis. "Lord Zedd, your horribleness, just ignore him! We are about to unleash our secret weapon!"

"Quiet, you sniveling imbecile! If I ignore him, we lose our place within the United Alliance of Evil! We cannot afford that... Squatt? Baboo? Accompany my Z Putties and Rita's ridiculous excuse for Putties to the Dark Fortress immediately!" Lord Zedd ordered.

"Yes! Most definitely!" Baboo said, adjusting his monocle in preparation for combat.

"This is so exciting! I'm going to beat up the good guys!" Squatt declared, hopping up and down. The two beings ran to the Palace foyer to collect the Z Putties when they suddenly spotted Rita mounting her penny-farthing.

Rita turned and sneered. "You have picked the losing side, boys!" She then shot a beam of Blue Energy at them and flew off toward Earth.

Darkonda then appeared from an invisibility vortex he had created. Looking at Squatt and Baboo, he said, "No need to mention that to Lord Zedd or anyone else... understood?"

As Darkonda asked them the question, he pointed his blade at them. They began nodding in agreement anxiously, gripping for each other.

"Good. Now go back to what you were doing. I have things I need to set up..." Darkonda said, laughing as he teleported down to Earth.

While he teleported to Earth, Cogs and Putties began swarming everyone on the Dark Fortress. Ecliptor laughed as he stepped back into the shadows.

 _That should keep them busy..._ He thought before teleporting to the shuttle that was still a ways away, containing Dark Specter.

Gaia Red swung his sword around, slashing at the Z Putties around him. "I can't get these things to stop attacking! It's like they're unbeatable!"

Gaia Blue punched a Cog in the face while shooting one of the Tenga Warriors Master Vile had sent in the chest with his Shark Bowgun. "This is ridiculous. I mean, first we had that stupid encounter with that Demon Gokaiger, now this? I mean... it just kind of happened to us. All of it. Gokai Slayer was in and out of there, and then we're here... this is stupid."

Gaia Yellow was thrown through the air by Eye Guy and slammed her back into a wall. "Ugh! I... I agree, Joe. And where did these Ethereals come from!?"

"I don't care. I'm just glad they're here..." Gaia Pink said as she freed Gaia Green from some Cogs who had been carrying him away.

"Thanks, Miha." Gaia Green said, hugging his longtime friend.

"Ah-haha! I don't know what you guys are talking about! It's like I always say: 'Just do it enthusiastically!'" Gaia Black said, swinging his Snake Axe around him like a maniac, cartwheeling and back flipping as he did.

Gaia Red chuckled. "You know what, guys? I think we've been taking ourselves too seriously..." He jumped up and kicked a Putty in the face while simultaneously punching a Cog in the throat.

Gaia Blue nodded. "You're right... We're not just Ethereal Power Rangers..."

"And we're not pirates anymore..." Gaia Yellow said as she flipped Eye Guy over her shoulders, causing him you fall to the ground with a thud.

"We're friends going on a lot of adventures... together!" Gaia Pink said happily as she performed a rainbow kick, catching a Demon by the chin.

Gaia Green then launched several grenades from his weapon, blasting several beasts away from him. "So this means...?"

Gaia Red cracked his neck and began winding his shoulder, causing his arm to rotate around while holding his sword. "It means that we are going to need to be showy."

Gaia Blue nodded happily as he approached a Z Putty casually from behind. He tapped it on the shoulder and caused it to jump as it turned to look at Gaia Blue. As they met face to face, the Blue Ranger swung his Bowgun and hit the Z Putty across the face before kicking it in the Z on its chest.

"It's almost as if its a bullseye." Gaia Blue commented as the Z Putty hit the floor. He then stared in awe as the Z Putty began to glow before exploding. "Oh... it _was_ a bullseye."

Gaia Yellow laughed as she punched a Z Putty in the chest. "You hear him, guys! Aim for the Z!"

As the Gaia Rangers began to fight with a new vigor, the Ethereals were feeling weaker. Castiel fell to a knee. "What's happening!?"

Michael walked to him, seemingly unaffected, and bent over close to Castiel. "Thank you, old friend, for everything. Your sacrifice is not in vain..."

"What!?" Castiel screamed. He dropped on all fours the closer Michael got to him.

The Ethereal King put his blade in front of Castiel's face. "I need more power to initiate the Holy War. I have been using my sword to drain you all of your powers. Do not worry: I will leave you with enough strength to flee."

"Flee!? But we will leave the Earth defenseless! And the Holy War cannot happen! BEELZEBUB IS GONE!" Castiel shouted, in pain both mentally and physically.

Michael nodded and placed a hand on Castiel. "You don't need to understand. And Earth is of no consequence. It will be destroyed in the Holy War either way. Now, I must go to fulfill my destiny."

And like that, Castiel was alone. He sneered and picked himself up. "Keep fighting, my warriors!"

He was punched by a Demon and sent back to the ground. _I cannot allow Michael's delusions to cause mass genocide of a whole planet! I must keep fighting!_ Castiel picked himself up and rushed at the Demon with his sword, intent on doing all he could to stop Michael from initiating the Holy War.

. . .

September limped through the brush. He could hear Olivia, Charlie, and Link rushing through the woods, close on his tail. He sighed as he continued plowing forward.

 _What do I think I'm doing!?_ September asked himself. _So what if I keep walking? It's not like I can outrun them... I'm feeling so weak..._

With that last thought, September tripped over a root poking out of the ground. He grunted as he fell onto his face. He was so drained from his encounter with the mysterious Demon Cronos in what that Demon had called "the Void", that he hardly had anything left in him. He had tapped into a large portion of his power when he had "stolen" Olivia's Time Jumper abilities momentarily, but doing so with Cronos' powers were even worse for him.

"End of the line, Baldy." Link said, pointing his hand at September. His hand had a bright flame dancing around it.

"We should just shoot him now." Charlie said, appearing behind Link and pointing a gun down at September.

"No!" Link said. "The President said to bring him in ASAP."

"Stand down, Freelancers!"

"Huh? Who said that!?" Charlie said. He began sniffing but was confused when he couldn't sense anything. "My ability isn't working on whoever is here."

"Ancient source: Nathadian force!" The voice cried out. Suddenly, out of his stealth cloak, Nathadian Ranger appeared and got into a fighting stance.

"How is it possible we didn't sense him!?" Link cried out, looking back and forth from September to Nathadian Ranger. "My wrist tech doesn't even recognize him as being _right in front of us_."

"Release September or prepare to face me!" Nathadian Ranger said, pointing at the Freelancers. As he did, he suddenly fell to a knee in pain. He felt the source of the pain coming from his right rib area.

Olivia dropped down from her perch on a tree.

Link laughed. "I was wondering what was taking you so long. Nice shot."

"As usual." Charlie said, winking.

Olivia tossed her pack to Charlie. "Naturally. Now, what's up with tall, dark, and armored over there?"

"I am the Nathadian Ranger. I have come to... ugh... take September back with me..."

"Whoever you are, the only place you're going is back with us to meet the President." Link said. "You're under arrest for interfering with official Pattern business."

Nathadian Ranger laughed. "You guys really do take your jobs seriously. Well... So do I." Suddenly, Nathadian Ranger caused his stealth cloak to appear.

"Where did he go!?" Olivia demanded.

"Hmm... I smell a time vortex... I... I can't sense anything else..." Charlie said.

"Well, I-" Link began. Before he could finish, a red Nathadian bolt hit him and knocked him on his side.

"Lincoln!" Olivia screamed, dropping down to him.

He let out a soft laugh. "Careful, Olive. I'll think you actually care..."

Charlie looked up and watched as Nathadian Ranger appeared before him. He pointed a gun and began blasting at the ranger.

Nathadian Ranger put out his hands and produced a force field. He then laughed and shook his head. "Nice try, punk. You messed with the wrong guy. Hi-yah!"

Charlie got into a fighting stance as Nathadian Ranger dived at him. They both fell to the ground and began rolling around. As they did, September tried to move but couldn't bring himself to. He felt as if his body was being drained exponentially each minute.

"Nathadian Ranger! Focus!" The Guardian demanded over the communication network.

Nathadian Ranger scoffed. "Buzz off, Guardian. I am more than capable of handling this guy."

"Nathadian Ranger! He is a _Freelancer_. Don't get overconfident or I'll bench you again." Guardian said.

"What!? But I just got started!" Nathadian Ranger said as he felt a blast hit him from behind. He flew forward and onto his face. As he rolled onto his back, Link and Olivia were standing behind Charlie. Olivia had her gun trained on Nathadian Ranger as Link had his flaming hand pointed at him as well.

"Give it up, _Ranger_. I have you in my sights." Olivia warned.

Charlie chuckled. "And once Olivia has someone in her sights..."

Link placed his free hand to his throat and simulated cutting it with his thumb. "... They're toast."

. . .

Gosei shot a blast of Earth power at Diabolico.

"Star Power!" Diabolico screamed, causing the ground chunk to explode before it hit him. "You cannot defeat me!"

"Photon Blast!" The Pink Ninja Storm Ranger declared, shooting a blast at Vypra. As the blast sailed forward, the Blue Dolphin Beast Watch Ranger jumped in front of the blast.

"Noo!" The Pink Ranger screamed.

The Blue Ranger laughed. "Don't worry! I know what I'm doing!"

Beast Blue then thought, _If this works, I will term it in my research as "sun dipping"._ She could feel immense power flowing through her, as if she had actually bathed herself in the yellow sun of Earth. She then blasted forward and hit Vypra hard, knocking her out.

"Good call!" Beast Red cried out. He then flew to Ninja Pink. "Could you do that to all of us?"

"If you say so... Photon Blast!" Ninja Pink screamed. She began dowsing all of the Beast Watch Rangers in golden light. As she did, however, Loki(D) fired his bazooka on her from behind. Hitting her as she was blasting the other rangers took its toll on her and sent her to the ground, unconscious.

"Let's get 'em, guys!" Beast Black cried out. They all took to the air and began converging on Loki(D), except Beast Green.

As the Rhino Spirit began to take control of his instincts, he sneered. _I'm the mighty Rhino! I don't need to act with them!_

"I don't think so." Bansheera said, laughing. She snapped her fingers and Black Energy mixed with Dark Magic erupted from her. It flew around the four flying Beast Rangers, causing them to begin to choke.

"Magic!" Beast Yellow choked out. "Ah!"

Beast Green huffed as he saw his team fall to the dirt in pain. "I knew you guys should've followed me! Rhino Spirit! Give me your power!"

Bansheera watched as Beast Green suddenly became a blur and barreled into her. She fell to her back, vision blurred.

"Star Power!" Diabolico cried out. Before the blast hit, the Green Ranger used his Kryptonian speed to dodge the hit and zoomed to the Demon, punching him. He flew into a wall hard, leaving an imprint of himself as he fell to the ground.

As Beast Green laughed, he felt Bansheera's Magic envelop him, as well. He fell to his knees, gasping for air.

"Hmm... Just the tiniest bit of Magic and you guys are down? Interesting bunch you rangers are." Bansheera said, musing to herself. She then turned and continued down the path, hoping to catch up with Camille and Morticon as Gosei had chased after them during the battle. Vypra, Diabolico, and Loki(D) gathered their wits and followed their Demon Queen down the path.

"Hahaha!" Chameleon Warrior laughed. She could see down the path a small, pyramidal shape. She recognized it as what Dai Shi and Octomus had explained to her the Greatest Treasure in the Universe would look like.

Morticon roared in triumph. "Finally! The Master will have ultimate power!"

"And my master Dai Shi will be able to reign supreme over all the Animal Realm, crushing all those who do not embrace Animals under foot!" Chameleon Warrior cried out.

"Are you kidding me!?" Bansheera said, folding her arms as she caught up to the two henchman. "Dai Shi and Octomus? Those two are _still_ trying their hand at the Greatest Treasure!? Haha! I guess nothing has changed after nearly two hundred million years..."

"Shall I destroy them?" Diabolico said, puffing his chest out as he stared at Morticon.

"Yes. Three on two should make things in our favor. I will work on the Greatest Treasure myself." Bansheera said. She laughed as Diabolico and Loki(D) shot forward with ferocity to hit Morticon while the Chameleon Warrior stood face to face with Vypra.

While they battled, Bansheera focused and teleported herself thirty feet ahead, past the battle, toward the Greatest Treasure. She frowned as she felt herself be bounced away from it. "What!?"

At that moment, Gosei emerged from the dust, laughing. "You're a fool, Bansheera. You think that we'd let something so powerful be so easy for you to get to?"

"What sort of shield is this!?" Bansheera screamed in anger. She began shooting blast after blast of Dark Magic at the shield, yet couldn't get through.

Gosei shook his head. "It is protected by the Greater Powers of each Power Ranger team in the universe! You'll never break past it!"

Bansheera stared at him, fury burning through her face as if they were literal flames. _Greater Powers!? The very thing I helped bring into this horrible universe is now the thing stopping me from my ultimate conquest! ...It all stems back to Lothor... No! He ruined everything! I knew we should have listened to the doctor!_

Dark Magic erupted from Bansheera and flew toward Gosei with all the tenacity Bansheera could muster. Gosei focused and caused a wall of Earth to lift up, surrounding him and protecting him. "I am of the Earth. You cannot defeat me, Bansheera, since we are in the heart of my power! I will defeat you, in revenge of what you did to the United Alliance. As one of the last remaining Morphing Masters, I will cut you down!"

Bansheera laughed. "Morphing Masters? Sweetie, I helped _create_ your silly little fraternity. I was battling before you were even a twinkle in your daddy's eye. By the way... I enjoyed watching the mighty Koragg fall in battle..."

"You knew my father!?" Gosei said in surprise.

"Haha! I helped destroy him! Oh, Gosei... There is so much you will never know about the universe and how everything has built up to this point. But none of that matters now. I will break past this shield, and I _will_ have the Greatest Treasure in the Universe!" Bansheera cried out. As she did, she morphed into her Demon form, horrible and menacing.

Gosei could not help but flinch at the sight. As Bansheera charged a ferocious attack at him, he teleported himself back to his main base. He had been a little apprehensive of the defenses around the Greatest Treasure, but seeing the wall powered by the Greater Powers of the Power Rangers holding up made him feel at ease.

Zordon spun around and looked at Gosei. "Where's Trinity?"

"Oh, uh... I thought she had already returned." Gosei said.

Alpha 4 shook his head. "I have been trying to get a hold of both you and Master Trinity, but you were so far underground I could not get a frequency!"

Robo Knight lifted up his sword. "I will go back and save her!"

Dimitria, concerned at the situation, turned to those in the room from her monitor. "Is that a wise decision?"

As Gosei and Zordon were going to discuss what their next move was to be, they received a transmission over their radio system. "To the Resistance based on Earth: I am Dark Specter, the mighty and undefeatable! I have come to your planet to announce the dawn of a new age. As one who wishes to fix what was once broken in the universe, I bring to you once again the United Alliance!"

"What is he talking about!?" Zordon said angrily. "How dare he disgrace us!"

Dark Specter continued. "This new United Alliance, the United Alliance of Evil, will restore the universe to order, under my reign! As our organization's first act, we will crush the rebels with the power of one of my top generals, Lord Zedd."

Suddenly, Lord Zedd's voice could be heard over the radio. "Ah... This feels so good! Zordon!? Are you listening? There is a large grove near the western coast of the continent on which you have based yourself. Search there for a rather large energy source!"

Alpha 4 did as Lord Zedd ordered. Turning to the monitors, Dimitria, Gosei, Alpha 4, Robo Knight, and Zordon watched as the image of Cyclopsis appeared before them. It stood menacingly as several Order of the Claw fighters fought under the massive warzord against Cogs, Putties, and Tenga Warriors. King Mondo himself, along with Aradon, could be seen on a mountain cliff beside Cyclopsis, overseeing the battle.

"Now... let the end begin! Give up now, Zordon, or be destroyed by the United Alliance!" Lord Zedd cried out in victory as the connection died.

Zordon sighed. "Robo Knight... Go now and battle Cyclopsis. I'm sure Trinity is fine."

"Are you sure, Zordon?" Robo Knight asked, worry in his voice.

"Yes. Now go."

Robo Knight nodded and typed in the coordinates into his forearm. A portal opened up and he stepped through. As he did, Zordon and the others turned back to the screen.

"I'm going back for Trinity." Gosei said.

Zordon shook his head. "No. She is a Morphing Master and can take care of herself. I... I can't risk losing you right now, Gosei. You are the only other person who can run the machinery with access codes in here besides me. Things are escalating rapidly out there and I don't want to risk either of us unless it is absolutely necessary."

"But... is she not your wife?" Dimitria asked.

Zordon sighed again as he dropped to his seat. "Yes, but the entire Resistance hangs on this. I... I can't risk everything for one."

Gosei and Dimitria exchanged worried looks. Zordon clenched his jaw in anger, feeling horrible about his decision. He only hoped everything would work out according to plan.

"Lion Zord morph!" Robo Knight could be heard crying out over the intercom. Alpha 4 had switched the monitors to see things through Robo Knight's eyes. Suddenly, Zordon and the others watched as the ground began flying away from Robo Knight's line of vision.

"It's working... He's growing!" Gosei proclaimed.

As Robo Knight roared in his zord form, Zordon spotted Rita pedaling above everyone. In one hand was the Dragon Dagger, while the Dragon Coin was in the other.

She closed her eyes and sighed. "I hope this works." She placed the dagger's mouthpiece to her lips and began blowing. Putting the coin in her pocket, she began moving the valves. A trumpet-like fanfare danced through the air.

Zordon stared in fascination as he once again saw Burai's zord, the Dragonzord, erupt from the sea like a champion. It roared as it stepped onto land, charging toward Robo Knight and Cyclopsis.

"Attack, Robo Knight!" Gosei screamed.

"No! Stand down! Wait until _I_ give the order!" Zordon countered.

"What are you doing!?" Gosei demanded.

"I'm giving Rita a chance..." Zordon said. He spun his chair around and watched the scene unfold.

Rita sighed again and played a new tune. As she did, missiles protruded from Dragonzord's finger cannons. The zord pointed his hands at Cyclopsis and fired.

From within Cyclopsis, Goldar screamed. "What is this!? I thought Rita was on our side!"

Suddenly, Darkonda appeared in the cockpit behind Goldar. "Do not worry! It is all apart of the plan!"

Goldar turned and growled at him. "What are you talking about!? No! I'm going to blast her out of the sky!"

"Okay... I'll just let Dark Specter know that you ruined the United Alliance's initial attack..." Darkonda lied, laughing.

"Er... Fine! What do I do!?" Goldar demanded.

"Focus on the Lionzord. Take as much damage from Dragonzord you can until you can't anymore. Then, meet Rita on that beach down there once this zord is destroyed." Darkonda said before teleporting away.

"This is ridiculous!" Goldar cried out as he turned back to his controls. He began rushing toward Robo Knight as he ducked a tail attack from Dragonzord.

"Okay, Robo Knight! Target Cyclopsis!" Zordon said, amazed Rita was telling the truth. Something inside him told him he was making the correct choice.

The floating Lion Zord spun around and shot multiple blasts at Cyclopsis. Goldar expertly piloted the warzord away from the blasts, but found himself face to face with Dragonzord as he did.

"Uh-oh..." Goldar said as Dragonzord picked up Cyclopsis. He then found himself flying through the air, slamming into a mountainside.

"Let us get out of here, my king!" Aradon said as the mountain began quaking.

"With haste!" Mondo cried out as they both teleported away.

Zordon nodded as he continued watching. "I have to say... I am surprised that Rita is really helping us out."

Gosei frowned. "Why the sudden change of heart, though? This could all be some kind of trap..."

"Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi! Gosei! Zordon! I saw a signal blaring through the networks and finally cracked the code. You won't believe it when you hear it!" Alpha 4 declared.

Dimitria, Zordon, and Gosei opened their ears as the sound began blaring in. They could hear Lord Zedd laughing.

"Ah-haha! Good job, Rita Repulsa! You have tricked that do-gooder Zordon like we planned!"

Rita's voice was the next to be heard. "Yes! That fool believed me! The next step in Dark Specter's plan is for me to meet him on the beach. There, I will ambush him with all of my soldiers! He won't see it coming. Then I will be able to keep the Dragonzord and hand Zordon over to Dark Specter!"

Zordon made a fist and pounded it onto the console. "She tricked us! I don't believe it!"

"I do..." Gosei said, sneering.

"What is our next course of action?" Dimitria asked, worried.

"We get her by surprise. We can't let this opportunity to rid the universe of that horrible with slide through our fingers. I'll go down and meet her like she is planning. Because she thinks she pulled the wool over my eyes, her guard will be down. That's when I will strike. I will have you, Gosei, and others like Robo Knight waiting in the wings. We are going to ambush Rita Repulsa and capture her." Zordon said, making the plan up as he went.

"And then what, Zordon?" Alpha 4 asked.

"I don't know yet. Perhaps we'll barter her for leverage? Try to rip information out of her? Whatever we do, at least the universe will no longer be under the threat of Rita Repulsa." Zordon said, curling his lip as he stared at the honest woman on her penny-farthing, doing the best she could to pilot Dragonzord to defeat Cyclopsis.

On the moon in Finster's lab, using the communication network, Darkonda laughed. He thought about how he had been the one to create the false transmission, using his powers to imitate the voices of Lord Zedd and Rita.

 _So, hopefully things go according to plan... Rita will go down ready to forfeit herself to Zordon. Zordon will go prepared and obliterate her from off the face of the planet, then, when he's not ready for it, I will swoop down and destroy Zordon and give Dark Specter the Dragon Dagger and Dragon Coin! Haha! Two birds with one stone..._ Darkonda thought, laughing again. He was extremely happy with himself and his evil plan. All he had to do next was wait for Robo Knight and Dragonzord to destroy Cyclopsis. After that, he predicted he would become the hero of the United Alliance of Evil.

. . .

In the midst of the battle, a fighter of the Order of the Claw pulled himself around a rock. He was gasping for air. He looked down and saw his clothing was covered in blood. He had been in a fight with a group of Tenga Warriors and had not fared well against them.

"... Uh... I... Is this it?" He wondered aloud.

Suddenly, a red light erupted from the rock on which he was leaning his back. Unable to move, he closed his eyes, ready to be destroyed by whatever was appearing from the rock.

"Hmm... You will do quite nicely..." Serrator said as he came out of the Gap from the Netherworld.

"Who... Who are you!?" The fighter asked in fear.

"I am Serrator. King of the Nighlok. I have come to grant you your life."

"You... You can... d... du... do that?" The fighter managed to cough out.

Serrator nodded and laughed. "Most definitely. All I need is your permission. Do you wish for me to give you your life back?"

The man nodded slowly. "Yes... Please..."

Serrator picked the man up. "Perfect. Let us go to the Netherworld then. Your training begins now."

"Wait... what!? You tricked me!" The man screamed.

"Yes. Yes I did. Now come. You belong to me... You will be my newest half-Nighlok, half-Human warrior!" Serrator said as he and the former fighter of the Order of the Claw disappeared into a Gap.

. . .

The Pink Ninja Storm Ranger fell to her knees, beginning to finally succumb to the pain in her body as she dragged the last of the Beast Watch Rangers out of the cave that led to the Greatest Treasure in the Universe. She had dragged each ranger, two at a time until she got the fifth one. As she dropped the Green Ranger out of the cave, she felt as if she had no energy left.

Suddenly, Trinity found herself forcefully demorphed from the exertion she had presented to her body. She looked around her and saw the barely living Beast Watch Rangers' bodies scattered around her.

We need to leave them behind. Trinity of Wisdom said. We can come back for them later.

No. We need to call for back up and wait here to see whether or not they will be safe until the help arrives! Trinity of Heart countered.

Trinity of Courage gave her opinion next. I say we try and morph and rush back into the cave, to make sure these animal rangers are safe for certain!

Wait! Slow down! I need time to gather myself! Trinity said to herself in her mind. She was too exhausted to collect her thoughts.

Trinity then felt something odd approach her. Looking up from being on all fours, she felt a presence that was similar to Zordon's. Trinity recognized it as White Energy. She then saw a man in a long white robe and a hood over his head.

"Hello. My name is Michael. I am King of the Ethereals."

Trinity tried to speak, but she was so tired no words came out. She only hung her head down in exhaustion.

"No need to speak, I suppose. Judging from this scene, you were apart of a bad battle. I can actually feel a strong connection to the Morphing Grid coming from you. I was hoping you would be the one I needed, and it looks like you will surely be able to fit the role I need you to fit." Michael said gently. He then bent over and picked Trinity up into his arms.

"...Zuh... Zordon..." Trinity managed to cough out.

Michael patted Trinity on the head as he walked away from the fallen Beast Watch Rangers, carrying the Ninja Morphing Master in his arms. "Shh... shh... Now, now. Don't you worry, young lady. Soon, your wounds will be healed and you will feel like a new person. All of your past concerns will be gone and there won't be any problems that will concern you. Soon, the only thing that will matter to you is the only thing that matters to me: the start of the Holy War."


	37. Pt 0-Chpt 19: The Great Battle of Swords

**Chapter Nineteen: The Great Battle of Swords**

Lothor looked down at the ship as the Al Bhed crew were out of it, trying to figure out how the engine had the problem that it did. They had no idea it had been tampered with by Ivicar. Gripping the Sword of Darkness, Lothor closed his eyes and channeled the Black Energy from it into himself. He then put the sword into the hilt on his belt and bent over, picking up the Cannon of Ki.

"What are you going to do with that?" Zurgane asked, holding the Sword of Light himself.

"I'm channeling... my..." Lothor said, struggling to lift the cannon onto his shoulder. "Energy... into... this."

Zurgane and Lothor were then both thrown onto their backsides as the cannon fired. Black Energy erupted from it, mixed with his Negative Lifestream. Lothor was someone so foul, his evil had tainted his Lifestream into the type of foul mixture that caused pools of Negative Lifestream to accumulate under the crust of every planet with beings on it as evil as him. The very pools that were commonly known as "Sanzu Waters".

"Watch out!" Cid the pilot screamed as he saw the ball of Black Energy and red Negative Lifestream fly toward his ship. He leapt forward and tackled his daughter Rikku out of the way.

"Ahh! What!?" Rikku yelled as she first felt her father ram into her, then rolling on the ground back up to her feet. She watched in horror as the ship exploded before her eyes.

"Noooo!" Yuna screamed, running from the surrounding woods to her cousin Rikku. She had gone out with Trueheart and Tidus to search for food a half hour earlier and were returning from their hunt. The scene she returned to was not one she expected, and would be burned into her mind forever.

Tidus' eyes began to glow the orange glow of the Corona Aurora. Wind began blowing around Trueheart at the same time, as the duo began looking around for the culprit.

"Father! No!" Rikku screamed, falling to her knees in horror as flames danced around where what was left of the ship sat, smoldering.

"Don't cry little one... You're suffering will be short..." Lothor said, floating down to the site of the wreckage, causing Zurgane to float down with him.

"Who are you!? Why have you done this!?" Yuna screamed, tears falling down her face.

"Lothor..." Tidus spat, causing his sword to appear in his hand.

Rikku pulled out her daggers. "So this is the leader of the Morphing Masters you told us about!?"

Lothor bowed as he set foot on the ground. "Oh, good. I see my reputation precedes me! And my dear Tidus, it is so good to see you again. You see, you have something that belongs to me..."

Trueheart shook his head. "There is nothing here for you, clown. Leave at once."

Lothor frowned. "Oh, pretty please?"

"Firaga!" Tidus screamed. Massive fireballs appeared around Lothor and his henchman.

"Don't make me laugh. Zocato!" Lothor said. The Anti-Magic blast destroyed the fire around them, simultaneously knocking Rikku, Yuna, Tidus, and Trueheart off their feet. "Now! General Zurgane? Point the Sword of Light at Tidus and take back what's rightfully mine."

 _He must be speaking about the Crown of the Gods, though I don't know why he thinks it belongs to him..._ Tidus thought as he jumped up to his feet. As he did, he saw lightning erupt from the Sword of Light and begin travelling toward him. Even with his enhanced perception and reaction time from both the Morphing Grid _and_ the Corona Aurora, he knew he would not get out of the way before the Sword of Light hit him.

"Not on my watch!" Thor screamed, throwing his trusted hammer Mjölnir at the blast, blocking it from getting to the Corona Aurora.

"Who are you!?" Zurgane demanded.

"I am an emissary from the High Ones. I have come here searching for great evil that has entered this, my universe. After much thought and concentration, I believe I have finally come to the end of my search! _You_ are the cancer my people sensed enter into this realm from some unknown place, and my journey ends here. I will ensure your end!" Thor said, picking Mjölnir up from the ground.

Lothor laughed and dropped the Cannon of Ki to the ground, dancing in place like the court jester he appeared to be. "Oh, look at me! I'm an emissary of the blah blah blah! You make me sick, ya steroid ridden freak. Zurgane? Let us destroy them all!"

"With pleasure!" Zurgane stated happily. He pointed the Sword of Light again, that time at Thor, and shot another beam to take his powers.

"No!" Trueheart cried out, finally recovered from the Zocato blast. With a burst of pure Spirit Energy, he created a barrier around Thor and blocked the attack.

"You idiot. Actually _swing_ with it. Like this!" Lothor yelled at Zurgane, prancing forward before swinging the Sword of Darkness at Tidus, who had leapt forward to protect the injured Rikku and Yuna.

"Don't think you're going to do this without me, you glory hog!" Loki cried out, descending from the sky. He held a curious sword in his hand that he used to hit the ground as he landed, causing it to quake and crack under him.

Thor jumped up and laughed as he performed a backflip. "Nice to see you, too, brother! Where did you get the sword!?"

Loki laughed. "Athena let me borrow it. It is called Excelsior! I figure a sword from the High One over the Department of War Tactics is bound to give me a boost!"

Zurgane yelled as he fell onto his face. Lothor grunted as he jumped up and landed gingerly on a tree branch. "Why don't we take things back to where I have home court advantage, huh?"

The seven warriors then watched as Lothor chanted an ancient incantation. Before they could react, they found themselves within the Great City.

. . .

Rumple shot blast after blast of Nathadian Magic at Dracul, but could not seem to land a hit. What made things more difficult was that Dracul was running from place to place, hitting those within the group, making Rumple continually doubt his aim, for fear of hitting anyone other than the giant Dinoman.

Mary, who had leapt into the surrounding forest when Dracul had first begun his attack, clenched her fist. _This isn't what David would want me to do... He would want me to act like the queen I was! The queen I_ _am_ _! I must protect what is left of my family!_

Dracul laughed as he turned to look at Rumple, while the rest of the group were on the ground in pain in front of the Ghost of Darkness' temple. "And then there was one..."

Rumple cast a Barrier spell around himself as Dracul raced forward to strike him. He could only Hope he would survive the attack to throw a counterspell.

"Meledon Conversion: White Mage!" Mary shouted. White robes appeared around her as she said the phrase. She then put her hands out and zapped Dracul. "Slow!"

She then floated through the air to Rumple as Dracul appeared to be going at walking speed. Rumple looked at her and laughed. "First of all: it is great to see you actually using your heritage. You are of the Order of Meledon!

"Also, Time Magic from a White Mage?"

Mary laughed as she stared at Dracul as he continued walking toward them. "I picked it up from a scientist that was once under my employ. I figured I should use it against this speedster."

"Yes. Even with the spell he seems to be moving at a normal pace! I..." Rumple stopped and frowned. "Take care of him. I need to prepare myself. Lothor... he is here!"

"You can feel him!?" Mary said, panicked.

Rumple nodded. "Oh, yes. He is less than a mile away..."

"Haste!" Mary cried out as she cast the spell over herself and Rumple. "We'll both need it."

As Rumple nodded, they suddenly felt an earthquake. They knew not it was caused by Loki slamming the sword Excelsior into the ground.

Rumple nodded and began racing toward the presence of Lothor. As he did, the spell on Dracul began to wear off.

"Curaga! Regen!" Mary yelled, casting curative and regeneration spells on those from her homeland. She fell to her back as she did, unable to keep her footing as the quake continued.

"Emma!" Baelfire screamed, feeling recovered from Dracul's attack. He watched as the quake began to cause the temple housing the Ghost of Darkness to begin to slip into the Earth. Emma was still trying to gain her footing and had fallen and was rolling to the hole the temple was making.

"Ahh!" She screamed. As the temple began to fall completely into the Earth, however, a black and blue cloud rolled into the area. As it disappeared, Emma fell to solid ground.

"What just happened!?" Will demanded angrily.

Dracul looked around in confusion. "What!? How did we get here?" He turned and found himself in the Great City, along with those who were around him, and also those who had been fighting Lothor at the same time.

"That would be because of me." Rumple said, not taking his eyes off of Lothor. "I heard him casting a teleportation spell and I piggybacked onto it, extending it to you all..."

Lothor sneered, mocking the first few lines of what Rumple had said. He then spoke by saying, "Well, the time has finally come, has it not? The time when I will-"

"Ahh!" Triassic Geki screamed as he was thrown into and through one of the walls of the Greater City. Gruumm raced in after him, screaming wildly.

A few moments later, through the same hole, Mesogog went flying into the city, covered in Purple Psychic Energy. Within seconds, Lije of the Dawn floated down and into the city as well, ready to continue the fight that had started outside the city walls.

Lothor began stamping his feet on the ground in anger. "Are. You. Kidding!? What is going on?! This is a private venue! Okay... Who else is here!?"

"It is time for you to meet your end, Lothor!" Octomus cried out, gritting his teeth to not feel the pain from his transformation. "Tycon!? Attack!"

"As you wish, Master! Ahhh!" Tycon screamed. He rushed forward and began attack those surrounding Lothor. Octomus himself stepped back into the shadows, not only due to pain, but also because he knew he would be useless in battle, since the ability to use Magic within the Great City had been taken away by Jakon when he had wished it so when he had tricked the Djinn, Ifrit.

Lothor looked at Rumple. "Okay, so if we are not going to be interrupted any-"

"I, the almighty Master Xandred, appear before you all with my newest weapon! I will crush all of you under my feet, and then you will all come with me to the Netherworld to serve me as my Nighlok army!"

"Who in the holy world is that!?" Lothor demanded, not recognizing Xandred as the former Morphing Master he was.

Rumple shook his head. "Aye... You sure have surrounded yourself with an odd lot..."

As the two former partners got lost in thought while they stared at the chaos of battle ensuing around them, Dracul rushed to Mesogog. "Master!? Are you okay!?"

Mesogog sighed. "I will be. Just get me out of here."

"But we must fight these foes to get Lothor's power!" Dracul demanded.

Mesogog laughed. "No, no... I have sent for... reinforcements."

Dracul, understanding what Mesogog meant, chuckled and picked his boss up. He then jumped into the air, landing a half mile away from the city. As he began to streak toward Mesogog's complex, he turned his head and laughed as he saw an army of dinosaurs begin to make their way to the Great City on Mesogog's command.

Back at the Great City itself, Lothor sighed. "Okay... if there will be no further interruptions, I-"

"RWAR!" A tyrannosaurus yelled as it barrelled into the city, oddly using the front gate and not destroying any more of the city wall. Many other dinosaurs ran in after the T-Rex.

"What is happ-" Lothor began.

"Geki! Geki!" Dan shouted, jumping off a dinosaur while the others did the same.

Triassic Geki, blocking a blow from Tycon, turned his head and laughed. "Alright! You brought reinforcements!"

"Technically Mesogog did, but we used our Spirit Animals to convince them to help us out! So... Who do we target!?" Mei shouted over the noise of combat.

"I don't know! Just help me with this guy first, okay!?" Triassic Geki said as he rolled under a massive punch from the giant red beast.

"Wait... Lothor!" Rumple said, pointing to Master Xandred as he swung his sword at Rikku. "Isn't that the Savage Sword."

"Oh, yeah... it is..." Lothor said, staring at it curiously.

"You fool! Don't you know what that can do!? How irresponsible are you!?" Rumple sneered as he began to run toward Xandred.

"Oh, yeah... That's... _really_ bad!" Lothor said, shaking his head and chasing after both Rumple and Xandred.

While Lothor ran past Rumple, Rumple felt himself get pulled behind a tower. It was his group he was traveling with. "What is it!?"

Emma shook her head. "We have no Magic here! There's something strange about this city."

Rumple tried conjuring some Magic, but was shocked to find he could not. "Now what?"

"Well..." Mary said, no longer a White Mage. She stood to the side, revealing Killian behind her.

Rumple sneered. "You!"

Baelfire jumped in the way. "Whoa, Papa! Wait! Wait! He saved us."

"What!?" Rumple said in confusion.

"It's true." Belle said, taking her husband by the hand. "We were about to be attacked by a big red beast when we all fell through the floor."

Killian nodded. "I know a lot of secret passages around here."

"We can't trust him!" Rumple snapped.

"What choice do you have? Hmm? You want to go back out there with no powers? You'll be as useless as me." Killian said. He then moved to a wall to his left and tapped a brick, causing a door to appear. "So? Coming?"

Mary looked at Rumple. "I say yes." She then turned and walked into the corridor.

One by one, each from the group made their way into the door until it was only Killian and Rumple.  
"Listen, here. If you are leading us into a trap then so help me I'll skin you alive." Rumple said, walking up to Killian.

"Noted." Killian said, not looking away.

"You first, _mate_." Rumple said.

"Alright, _Dark One_." Killian said as he turned and walked into the corridor. As Rumple followed, the door closed itself and vanished.

While that occurred, Loki cried out in pain as Lije blasted him with a psychic attack. He fell to the ground and the sword Excelsior left his hand, skidding across the ground.

Tidus, recognizing Loki as someone who had been trying to help them after Lothor had attacked, rolled over and stood before Lije. "Leave him alone!"

Lije of the Dawn laughed. "You fool! Don't make me destroy you, too!"

Tidus' eyes began to glow once again with the power of the Corona Aurora. "Don't test me, little girl!"

"Little girl!? You'll regret saying that!" Lije cried out. She pointed the Sword of Power at Tidus and shot a blast at him.

Tidus instinctively put his hand out and caught the blast in his hand. As he did, he saw immense power flow through his hand at the meeting point where his body touched the attack from the psychic child. Lije saw this and sneered, amplifying the power she was using to attack Tidus.

Suddenly, Tidus felt his mind under attack from the raw psychic power coming from the evil child. Tidus fell to his knees and cried out in pain.

As he did, Trueheart heard him. Seeing Excelsior on the ground, Trueheart rushed over and picked it up. He then jumped into the air and slashed Lije, causing her to end her attack and fall to the ground in pain.

Trueheart then ran to Tidus. "Tidus, my boy, are you okay!?"

"I... I..." Tidus said, blood beginning to fall from his eyes and nose.

Loki dragged himself to Tidus and frowned. "This is very bad... He has been hit with a very powerful psychic attack. Lije of the Dawn seems to be using that sword in her hands to amplify her attacks. I don't know if there is anything we can do to help him."

Trueheart frowned and looked at Loki. "There must be _something_! He's just a boy!"

"Well... That sword I brought. Excelsior? It is a very powerful sword. It is said to be made from the same material as my brother, Thor's, hammer Mjölnir. It is virtually indestructible. It may be possible to bond Excelsior to this boy, but since he is not a High One, I don't know if he could survive." Loki said.

Trueheart looked from Excelsior to Tidus and back. "This boy is not just a boy. He is the Sentinel Knight, defender of the Crown of the Gods. He has junctioned himself to that powerful artifact, and he can do so with this sword. Now, Tidus, I- AHH!"

Before Trueheart could finish, a bolt of Psychic Energy hit him in the back from Lije, who had picked herself back up. She held her cut arm with her free one and shot her horrible powers from her eyes. "How dare you! No one attacks me and lives to tell about it, old man!"

As purple lightning danced around his body, Trueheart turned and screamed to Tidus. "Junction yourself to the sword, boy! You can do it!"

Tidus, beginning to understand what Trueheart was saying, grabbed at the sword as it lay beside him. Focusing, he could feel the same connection he had made with the Corona Aurora being made with Excelsior. Suddenly, he felt the powers from the two weapons begin to mix within him.

"And now, old man... prepare to- Ah!" Lije cried out, an orange blast hitting her. She fell to the ground hard. Looking up, she saw an armored warrior she had never laid eyes on before.

He seemed to wear a black robe, with a matching black cape. On his chest was a green gem, matching the gem seen on the hilt of Excelsior, which was in his right hand. Around the gem was orange armor, mostly covering his torso and extending down to his feet, though it did not cover his legs. His wrists were also adorned with orange bangles, and his shoulders had orange pads on them. On his head, the black robe seemed to cover the entirety of it. As some sort of helmet, a crown shaped armor rested on his head, flaring out at the end, in line with where his cheekbones would have been if they could be seen.

"Who are you!?" Lije demanded.

"I am the Sentinel Knight... Leave here at once or feel the wrath of the Crown of the Gods!" Tidus in his new armor declared.

"ARGH!" Lije screamed, shooting psychic energy at Sentinel Knight.

Sentinel Knight focused on the Corona Aurora and blasted a shot out. It destroyed the attack and hit Lije in the torso. She cried out in pain.

"Lije!" Gruumm screamed. He ran to the last of the Dawn species and gripped at her. "Are you okay!?"

"Get... me... out!" Lije gasped out in pain. Gruumm nodded and picked her up, taking her out.

Loki, standing up, walked to Sentinel Knight. "Aren't you going to attack her?"

"No. She is already down. She won't be bothering us anymore... not unless she knows what's good for her. If we do meet again, though, I won't be so generous." Sentinel Knight said. He turned around and could not find Trueheart. "Where is the old man that was here!?"

Loki sighed. "He... he disappeared right before my eyes. I think he may have..."

Sentinel Knight clenched his fist. "No... Trueheart..."

Sentinel Knight was then knocked to the ground as Thor flew into him, being thrown by the blast from Lothor that was aimed at Master Xandred.

Xandred fell to a knee. He gasped in shock as he saw his skin cracking. "No! Ugh! You haven't seen the last of Master Xandred!" He then saw saw a crack in the floor and channeled his Nighlok powers to cause him to turn it into a Gap, sending him back to the Netherworld.

Lothor sneered. "Yuck. I have to remember to tell Zurgane we have cracks to seal up. We're letting vermin in..."

"Tycon!" Octomus screamed from the other side of the courtyard. He watched as Tycon tried to fight off a squadron of velociraptors along with a T-Rex, but was being defeated. "Tycon! We must leave here!"

As Tycon tried to escape, suddenly Dai Shi, in his new dragon form, burst onto the scene. He laughed, carrying the Wild Sword in his hands. "I just wiped the floor with four of warriors out there. You may have heard of them? Ivicar, Jakon, Jor, and App? Well guess what? You're all next! Haha!"

"Who is that!?" Yuna cried out, frowning as she stood beside Sentinel Knight. She had been hiding in a tower nearby but couldn't bring herself to hide any longer. She wanted revenge for her people who had been destroyed by Lothor.

"I am the mighty Dai Shi, and-"

"Samurai Power!" App, Jor, and Jakon screamed from the city entrance, running past the Dinosaurs that were fighting Master Xandred, who in a lust for fighting had decided to attack them with the Savage Sword.

Dai Shi fell to the ground. As he did, he cried out, "What!? I thought I destroyed you after Lije of the Dawn attacked you and Mesogog!"

Ivicar suddenly appeared behind them. "I am a master illusionist. I cast an teleportation spell on us. We were just fine." He then laughed, both at evading Dai Shi and also for tricking the trio of martial artists into trusting him.

Octomus limped over to Dai Shi and helped him up. "We must flee from here! It is too dangerous, and not even this new form you have can save us!"

Before Dai Shi could respond, Lothor laughed and blasted everyone, including the Dinosaurs, around him with Zocato power. "Now, everyone calm down!"

Suddenly, the Wild Sword roared. It was frustrated with Dai Shi and the fact he had lost in a battle. It had come back to him while Lije had attacked App and his group, but had decided to leave sensing weakness in Dai Shi.

"No!" Dai Shi screamed. Try as he may, however, he could not grip the weapon and it flew away from the Great City.

Lothor rolled his eyes. "Anyway... Well, each of you has really gotten on my nerves. Time for you to pay for not only taking things from me, _Tidus_ , but also just making this a _really_ bad day. You know how much paperwork all this damage will cause me to need to send to Mesogog, my landlord!? And I'm losing equity on this land as we speak! Just... really, you're all going to pay dearly for this."

Lothor then closed his eyes and gripped the Sword of Darkness tightly. Everyone watched in terror all they saw Lothor begin to glow in Black Energy, ready to strike them all down.

. . .

Regina sighed. "Okay. He's there for certain."

Beelzebub sneered. "Are you sure this time? Last time he _wasn't_."

"That wasn't my fault. He _had_ been there, but then he teleported away." Regina said, angrily.

Diabolico shook his head. "Why are we wasting our time with these two? They are not Demons! They will not help us with our conquest of the universe!"

"There is much we can learn from them!" Beelzebub said.

"And I haven't been exactly useless..." Mythical Master retorted, hoping to stay in favor with the Demons. He was getting anxious to return to his universe to battle the Power Rangers that plagued him.

Beelzebub grunted. "How else will we defeat the Ethereals than with their power!? You saw how the witch was useful in destroying Michael!"

"But we didn't destroy him! You allowed him to live! With as much as he was obsessed with the Holy War, you are, too!" Diabolico said in frustration.

"What!?" Beelzebub said in anger.

"Yes! You are going to bring him out of that prison when all is said and done to fight him again and prove superiority! I'm not stupid! You are more worried about your sibling rivalry than with the plan Lilith gave you!" Diabolico shouted, letting his doubts fly from his mouth in the form of accusations.

Beelzebub frowned. "We'll speak about your concerns later, after this mission. Everyone? Come _now_."

As they made their way to the Great City, where they knew not a mighty battle was occurring, Regina smiled to herself. _There seems to be discord between Beelzebub and Diabolico... I could use that to my advantage..._

While they marched, Mythical Master also plotted. _I have to rid myself of this witch! She will_ _not_ _get in the way of my plans!_

. . .

In a cottage on the other side of the supercontinent of Pangaea, Deviot looked at his fellow Alphas. They were convened in the cottage that had once belonged to Prue the Witch and her coven.

Fenrir grunted in anger. "They destroyed Cujo. They destroyed Ifrit. They destroyed even _Dracula_."

"Yes. That was the biggest surprise." Roman the Leviathan said. "If they had the power to do that, they are more of a threat than even Prue originally thought."

Serrator laughed. "I fear we are forgetting to mention they also seemed to have destroyed Prue and her coven as well. What is even more shocking is that they seemed to have defeated Paige as well. She was one of the strongest Witches in the _universe_."

"What do we do, then!?" Fenrir asked, anger written on his face.

"Well, I have already sent a message to our Alpha Gargoyle brother, Goliath. I may have twisted the facts a little, but he sees the threat these 'Morphing Masters' seem to really be now, especially when he heard of all of all the destroyed brethren from that battle." Deviot said.

"So Goliath is coming? Interesting..." Roman said.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" Serrator asked.

Deviot nodded. "Yes, my Alpha brothers. We are going to get revenge! As soon as Goliath arrives, we are returning to the Great City and we are going to get our revenge!"


	38. Part 3 - Chapter Nineteen: Imprisoned

**Chapter Nineteen: Imprisoned**

Saba protracted his claws and yelled as he flew through the air. He landed on a Cog and began ripping it apart, his sharp nails digging deep into gears and wires. As he continued attacking the monsters that were swarming the ground, Saba kept his eye on the massive zord fight above between Dragonzord, Cyclopsis, and Robo Knight as the Lion Zord.

The red tiger-like animal leapt from the Cog as Cyclopsis' massive foot landed mere feet away from them. He hissed at the warzord as he landed. He then had a thought: _Wait... Why should I not help? I came here to represent the Animal Realm, but although I am not as large as they are, I shouldn't leave it all to fate!_

Saba got onto all fours and charged at Cyclopsis' foot. As he got to it, he dug his claws into the metal frame and began to climb up the machine's leg. He found himself clinging for life with every swing up to a higher position, as the zord was still fighting the Lion and Dragon Zords.

Suddenly, Saba was at Cyclopsis' waist. He could feel that at the waistline, to help with flexibility, there was a rubber lining. Swallowing hard, Saba brought up a paw and held on with only one. He went to swipe at the rubber, but was tossed about like a rag doll by the warzord's movement.

Saba could feel one of his claws rip off his paw as he was swung about. He howled in pain as the injury's feeling swept up his body to his brain. He clenched his teeth and tried to get back in position, still holding on with what claws he had left. With a quick swipe, a gash was made in the waist. Gratefully, Saba slid into the zord.

Saba looked around and saw the main engine of the zord. His eyes began glowing with his Animal Spirit. He then closed his eyes and began waving his paws about. As he did, the energy from his Tiger Spirit began to manifest itself in the air between his paws.

"I call upon the spirit of the powerful Tiger!" Saba roared. He opened his eyes and watched as his Animal Spirit rushed out of him and began ripping the engine apart. As one piece began to spark wildly, Saba turned tail and leapt back out the way he had entered.

In Cyclopsis' cockpit, Goldar frowned. "Err... Oh, no! There's something wrong with the engine!" As he saw his console tell him the failure was critical and that the zord was about to explode, Goldar screamed in defeat and teleported out of the cockpit in a ball of flames. Right before he did, though, he turned on Cyclopsis' autopilot to do as much damage as it could before being destroyed.

As Saba sailed toward the ground, he could feel the heat erupting from Cyclopsis' core behind him. Suddenly, he saw missiles and lasers soaring around him, aimed at Dragonzord and Robo Knight.

"Saba! Watch out!" Robo Knight declared, seeing a missile flying toward the tiger. He hovered with great speed over to Saba and caught him, turning his back to the missile.

"Thank you! I-" Before Saba could finish, he saw an explosion erupt from Lion Zord's back. It was the missile hitting the zord.

"Ah! I'm down! Emergency landing initiate!" Robo Knight declared. He soared down to the ground and dropped Saba onto the sand of the beach near where they were. Robo Knight demorphed into his base form and fell to his hands and knees. Smoke danced off his back.

"Massive system failures! Shutting down..." Robo Knight declared. The red light from his visor became a crimson color before going black. Robo Knight then fell face first into the sand.

While Saba galloped to the fallen knight, Rita watched Cyclopsis fall to the ground, fire coming from a hole in its stomach. She nodded and lifted up the Dragon Dagger. "You have done well, Dragonzord. Now. Return to the sea!"

Placing the mouthpiece once again to her lips, Rita played the fanfare and commanded Dragonzord to return to its home. The zord took one last look at Cyclopsis and turned around, heading back toward the sea.

On the Moon Palace, Lord Zedd was glowing with Red Energy, the Rage portion of the Emotional Spectrum. "What is Rita doing!? She ruined everything!"

Dark Specter was angry as well. He and Ecliptor had landed their shuttle onto the moon to watch what they believed was the fall of the Resistance with one of their top generals. "I will speak with you about this later, Lord Zedd! But, the blame lies on Darkonda! I ordered him to ensure Rita did not betray us!"

Hearing the mention of his name, Darkonda stepped out from the shadows where he had been hiding. "It is all apart of my plan, Dark Specter. You see, I have caused Zordon to believe-"

"Silence! I did not tell you to go off and make your own plans, fool!" Dark Specter shouted. He began growing slightly as he focused on Darkonda. "Whatever you were planning was probably aimed at glorifying only yourself! That is not how I want _my_ organization to be run! You work for _me_ , Darkonda! Your stupidity cost us Rita as a general, the Dragon Dagger and Dragonzord, _and_ Cyclopsis! Your greed has cost me too much! Darkonda!? You are banished from the United Alliance of Evil!"

"What!? I have been serving you for two thousand years! You can't just-" Darkonda began.

"Leave now, traitor!" Ecliptor said, pointing a sword at Darkonda.

"But-"

Dark Specter began glowing with evil flames of Black Energy. "Noooow!"

Darkonda sneered and vanished in his vortex.

"Now what, Dark Specter?" Lord Zedd asked, gripping his Z Staff tightly.

Dark Specter paused for a moment, thinking. "We wait. See how things play out. I did not plan for this, and don't want to make any bad moves. Zordon is very clever and if make one false step, he will surely capitalize on it."

Meanwhile, Rita landed on the beach and made her way to Saba and the unconscious/shut down Robo Knight. She pulled out her staff to see if she could help the fallen knight.

"Stand down, Rita!" Zordon said, walking toward the beach from the opposite direction. With him was Gosei, Master Mao, and Alpha 4. In one of Alpha's hands was a small monitor with Dimitria on it, observing from her subdimensional prison.

"I was only going to-" Rita began.

Zordon sneered. "I know what you were trying to do. Do it now!"

Suddenly, the Order of the Claw Master joined his hands together and a massive blast of energy erupted from them. Rita found herself trapped in a bubble with the crew following Zordon.

"Now there is no escape!" Gosei said, folding his arms.

"I wasn't planning on it. Now, do you want this dagger on coin or not?" Rita asked, holding them up to show Zordon.

"Rita, my mistress. What is happening?" Finster said, appearing from behind a rock. Squatt and Baboo followed closely behind. He had been in the area monitoring Cyclopsis during the battle. When he had seen Rita land on the beach, he raced over to see what she was up to. He and his bumbling duo had then got caught in the force field Zordon had ordered to be made.

"Nice try, Rita. Not only did you say you were going to meet us alone, but we also intercepted your radio contact to Lord Zedd. We know you were trying to betray us!" Zordon said, causing his red tiger saber to appear in his right hand.

"What!? What message!?" Rita shrieked angrily. "And I don't know what these morons are doing here!"

Slowly, Red Energy begin to come out of Rita herself, interfering with the Blue Energy that was made manifest in her by Dulcea's spell two thousand years earlier. As that occurred, the hypnotic Red Energy Zedd placed in Rita's staff to control her began to become active in her once again. Not only that, but the Red Energy began activating the cells that the Ghost of Darkness had placed inside of Rita's staff. Those cells alerted the Ghost of Darkness, causing him to be able to watch the scene from the planet he was on.

"Don't try and con us anymore!" Gosei demanded. "We are not fools!"

Goldar, who had already been on the beach per Darkonda's request, made himself known as he stepped out from a tall rock. He growled in anger. "I don't know how this plan is supposed to work, but I'm here and ready to fight!"

The Blue Energy around Rita was trying to talk sense into Rita, to give her hope. Her anger, however, from not being believed by Zordon after all she had done to help them be aware of Lord Zedd's plan, even going so far as promising to give herself up, was growing too strongly inside of her.

A sudden flash of the man and woman who she had come to learn were her parents flashed before her eyes. They were begging her to stay strong. Then, an image of her and Divitria as children stuck in Alphabet Soup flashed before her, to remind her why she was defecting.

 _I don't think so..._ The Ghost of Darkness thought to himself. He began activating his "special cells" to fill Rita's mind with images of Zordon fighting her and her Monsters. In between the images, moments from right then on the beach were interspliced.

As her anger grew, suddenly, the Blue Energy was gone from Rita once again. She was back under Lord Zedd and the Ghost of Darkness' spells of manipulation. She was a prisoner of evil once again.

No longer able to feel the Green Energy from the Dragon Coin, she slipped it back into her pocket. She then pointed her staff at Zordon. "Ah-hahaha! Well, Zordon. If it is a fight you want then it is one you'll get!"

Saba leapt up and got into a fighting stance. "I'm right beside you, old friend!"

Zordon sneered. He could see Finster, Squatt, Baboo, Goldar, and Rita standing before him, ready to fight. He had no intention on letting them out alive. "For the people of the universe! For Orion, my mentor! For Michael! For Tria! For Dulcea! For Burai... You will pay for your actions, Rita Repulsa! Ancient source: Meledon force!"

. . .

"Castiel!" Gaia Green shouted. They watched as Eye Guy exploded from a blast by the Ethereal. As the last of the Monsters was destroyed from on the Dark Fortress where they stood, the last standing Ethereal fell to his knees and hands.

"Rangers..." Castiel began. "I... we do not have a lot of time..."

Captain Marvelous, demorphing from his ranger form, knelt down at Castiel's side. "Time for what?"

Castiel looked up as each of the five Gaia Rangers demorphed and looked down at him. He then looked away in shame. "I have brought great destruction to Earth. I freed my king, Michael, from his place of imprisonment, but I did not know how much he had changed. He is set on causing a massive calamity on Earth, thinking it will bring back his brother. I have no power left in me, though. You are Earth's last hope."

Miha nodded. "We will stop him."

"Follow your Power Cards. They will help you follow his trail of White Energy." Castiel said.

"What about you!?" Guy asked, worried.

"I will follow, but I must rest first." Castiel said. They all looked at him. They knew what he really meant, and he knew they knew.

"Until next time." Marvelous said, standing up.

Castiel nodded. "Yes. Until next time."

Miha pulled out her Power Card. "Change Card! Sky Armor!"

The Gaia Rangers morphed and summoned their Ethereal wings. Castiel watched as they flew off the Dark Fortress toward Earth in search of Michael.

"May the Power protect you..." Castiel said. He then rolled onto his back and closed his eyes.

. . .

Dai Shi watched from the image Octomus had made of the scene outside the entrance to the Greatest Treasure in the Universe. The bodies of the Beast Watch Rangers were strewn about the ground. Other than that, they had no idea whether Camille and Morticon were even still alive.

Dai Shi grunted in anger. "This is far too important to let them ruin what we have been trying to accomplish for all of these hundreds of years! Get me Necrolai!"

Octomus breathed heavily. "Are you sure she is right for this?"

Dai Shi laughed. "Yes, she is. Especially since I'm going with her."

"Is that wise?" Octomus asked.

"Of course it is. This is the final stretch and I'm not leaving anything to chance. Support me with your Magic and I'll be fine." Dai Shi said.

As Necrolai entered the room, Octomus opened a portal to the entrance to the cave. "When next we meet, we will become gods."

"That is right, old friend." Dai Shi said. He and Necrolai then entered the portal and were instantly outside the cave entrance.

"I don't have a good feeling about this..." Necrolai said, looking around.

"Wait... I hear something..." Dai Shi said. Suddenly, Masters Lope, Guin, and Rilla rounded a corner, followed by the Cubs of the Order of the Claw: Swoop, Phant, and Finn.

"Are you certain this is the place of the energy spike?" Master Guin asked, looking at Master Lope.

"Yes, I am certain. Now... Oh, no! Look!" Lope yelled, pointing to the bodies of the Beast Watch Rangers.

"What happened here!?" Rilla said, sneering as he ran over to Beast Red. He bent over and checked a pulse. "This one is still alive."

"Shame I won't be able to say the same about you in a few moments!" Dai Shi said, stepping forward for the Order of the Claw to see him. Necrolai flew above him and cackled. Her shadow swept over the six of them, casting an ominous mood on the situation. As she flew, the Order of the Claw Cubs tossed their study bags to the side, where they carried their manuscripts for their lessons. As a Cub, they were required to take the manuscript box with them at all times.

"Dai Shi! So... You've decided to show your face after all of these years..." Master Lope said, getting into a fighting stance.

"How could you have done this!?" Guin asked, clenching her fist in anger.

Dai Shi laughed. To ensure he had the upper hand against his foes, he decided to take credit for the fallen rangers' defeat, to make them fear him even more. "How did I do it? Hmm... Why don't I show you!? Mighty Dragon Spirit!"

Suddenly, Dai Shi began to grow. Within moments, he was as large as the mountains surrounding them. He laughed as he shot out two of his heads to attack those below.

"We must tap deep into our Animal Spirits!" Rilla cried out.

Swoop leapt up into the air and began flying toward Necrolai. He pulled out a fan and began using it like a weapon.

"What are you going to do? Fan me to death? You're just a Cub! Don't insult me!" Necrolai said, laughing.

"Do not underestimate me. I, too, have the powers of the bat!" Swoop said. He could sense her near him. He spun in place, midair, and sent shockwaves of energy generated by his Animal Spirit at Necrolai.

As the Royal Vampire dodged the attack, Phant swung his weapon of choice, a mace. As he spun it around, Finn jumped on top of it and propelled himself up, brandishing his swords in each hand. He cried out as he tapped into his Shark Spirit and slashed at Necrolai before she could react. She screamed in pain as she began to fall to the ground.

While this occurred, the three Masters focused and tapped into their Animal Spirits. They, themselves, transformed into humanoid versions of their Animal Spirits.

"Unleash your powers!" Master Rilla cried out.

Master Guin and Master Lope channeled their powers and shot them out at Dai Shi, meeting with Master Rilla's energy.

Dai Shi used his main head to maneuver his mouth to the blast. He opened as wide as he could and swallowed the power. "Ah-hahaha! Is that the best you got!? Fools! You will now feel my power!"

The three Masters were then thrown off the ground as the dirt around them exploded, scattering them back to the floor onto their backs. Dai Shi looked down on them and laughed. He was revelling in the moment. The last time he had battled the Order of the Claw, he had brought them to a stalemate. He was glad to see his practice since that time had brought him more power than he could have hoped.

While Dai Shi was gloating, Bansheera and her minions walked out of the cave, disappointed. They had been able to incapacitate both Camille and Morticon rather easily after Gosei had left them. Bansheera had then given all she had into the shield, but realized she was getting nowhere with it. She knew she needed to find Gosei and take the Ranger Keys from him if she was to unlock each Ranger team's Greater Power to get to the Greatest Treasure in the Universe.

As she was moping, Diabolico made his way outside first. Seeing the massive Dai Shi, he rushed back to Bansheera. "My queen! A massive battle is occurring outside, and Dai Shi is there!"

"What!?" Bansheera said, curling a lip in anger. "How dare he interfere! He's probably here to take the Greatest Treasure! I can't allow that!"

"Whaaaat should we dooo, Queen Bansheeeera?" Vypra asked, eye twitching as she ran from her host's will, Ayame Ubi, in her mind.

"I don't know yet. Let me see what exactly is happening." Bansheera replied.

As the Demons made their way to the exit to watch the Order of the Claw try to dodge Dai Shi's attacks, coupled with annoying strikes from Necrolai, another group emerged from the other side of the quarry. It was Grizzaka and the Overlords, accompanied by the Phantom Beast Generals and Phantom Beast Warriors.

One of the Generals, Flamingarion, scowled. "That is Dai Shi!? Grizzaka! He's huge!"

"Yes, but with how big he is, he is still no match for my Zocato power. If he will fall by me alone using Zocato power, imagine how he will be when he is hit by your combined Rinzin power!" Grizzaka said, eager to see Dai Shi fall for betraying the Overlords.

Scorch nodded. "Fine. Phantom Beasts? This is for the Animal Realm! Rinzin!"

Dai Shi stopped and turned three of his heads as he heard the racket coming from behind him. He roared in anger as he saw the Overlords leading an army of unknown fighters against him. "What are you doing, Grizzaka!?"

"Taking what's mine! You should not have betrayed the Animal Realm!" Grizzaka said, laughing under his breath.

"What!? I would never do such a- AHHH!" Dai Shi screamed. As the Rinzin power hit him, he began to shrink, being unable to maintain his size.

Iguanadon shouted, "This is for the Animal Realm!"

Osiris agreed. "No Humans or Human sympathizers will survive under our reign!"

The Order of the Claw watched in awe as Dai Shi was back to normal size, screaming in pain. Necrolai, as well, had stopped to look at the scene in horror.

 _I must return to The Master!_ She thought. Necrolai then turned and flew off into the sky, rushing away to conjure a spell to send her back to the Magic Realm where Octomus awaited.

Bansheera laughed as she saw the sight. She then turned to Loki(D) and Diabolico. "Do you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to convert Dai Shi to our cause..."

"How can you do such a thing!? Dai Shi never gave you consent!" Diabolico said, shocked.

"Oh, but he did. Many, many, _many_ years ago. I was fighting against an old rival of mine, Lothor, and he was there. I told him to join forces with me and the Demons and he said, quote, 'I would only join the Demons if I was on the brink of destruction!' It's funny how we remember some things. Well, I'd say that he is on the brink, wouldn't you?" Bansheera said.

The three Demons with her laughed as they watched Dark Magic and Black Energy erupt from Bansheera. They mixed in a foul way and floated over to Dai Shi. Suddenly, Dai Shi felt himself melt away. Within a few moments, Dai Shi was in his spirit from, floating above them all as a Demon.

"I do not know what has happened to me, but I _live on_!" Dai Shi screamed.

Rilla scoffed. "You've just made yourself easier to contain!" Rilla then focused his Animal Spirit around Dai Shi.

"Grab your manuscript box!" Guin ordered Swoop to do. Swoop nodded and ran a ways to grab the bag he had dropped earlier. He pulled out his box.

"Empty it!" Guin screamed as she and Lope joined in with their Animal Spirits.

Dai Shi, not knowing what to do since he had just barely become a Demon, struggled in vain to get away from the power of the Order of the Claw. Within moments, they had wrestled him into the manuscript box.

Finn then closed it. As he did, Master Rilla recited an incantation over the box.

"What did you just say?" Phant asked, curious.

Lope answered. "We felt his presence before. Many years ago, Demons were running amok in the universe. Master Zordon taught us a spell that would create something called a 'Demon Trap'. Master Rilla recited it and and the inside of the box is now a Demon Trap, holding Dai Shi in place."

As they spoke, the Phantom Beast General Snapper pointed to the Order of the Claw. "And who are they?"

"They are a warring faction of humanoids who don't want Dai Shi to rule the planet, but they don't like animals, either." Carnisoar lied.

Whiger folded his arms. "But they use Animal Spirits!"

Jellica spat. "Yes! It is to mock Animals!"

Hearing them, Guin pointed. "Hey! Who are you!? Thank you for your help! Wait... That's Grizzaka!"

Rilla sneered. "And the other Overlords. Stop right there!"

"That's your cue, Grizzaka..." Scorch said.

Grizzaka nodded. He then laughed and shouted to the Order of the Claw. "We'll see you next time!"

Before they could react, Grizzaka used his Earth powers and transported them to a different area on the mountain range, away from the Order.

As the Order of the Claw placed the box with Dai Shi into their bag, and began making a spell circle to teleport all of them and the Beast Watch Rangers to their base, Loki(D) looked to Bansheera. "Well, what are we waiting for!? Let's attack them!"

Bansheera shook her head. "No, no. They have Dai Shi captured. I don't want to be the focus of Dai Shi's partner in crime, Octomus. He's annoying and very powerful. If we interfere, we'll be on his radar. Let us wait for them to leave. We have planning to do."

"What sort of planning?" Loki(D) asked.

Bansheera slapped him in the back of the head. "I already told you! We are going to plan on getting the Greater Powers of every Power Ranger team away from Gosei. Then, the Greatest Treasure in the Universe will finally be mine!"

. . .

Nathadian Ranger, known to Future: Omega Ranger as Phantom Ranger, kept his eyes on Olivia and the other Freelancers as they had him at gunpoint. He sneered. _I only_ _just_ _got out of the Hall of Legends and already I'm in a heap of trouble!_

"Nathadian Ranger! Is September close to you!?" The Guardian asked in his helmet communicator urgently.

"Uh... Yeah. I can feel him behind me." Nathadian Ranger said, unheard by the Freelancers.

"Great! I'm bringing you back to the Hall." Guardian said happily.

"Geez... I just _got_ here..." Nathadian Ranger said, frustrated. He very much wanted to see some action.

"Okay. Whoever you are," Link began. "You are under arrest for-"

Before he could finish, a time vortex opened up and swallowed both September and Nathadian Ranger.

Charlie threw his gun in the air in anger. "What!? How does that guy have better tech than us!? This is ridiculous!"

Olivia sneered. "We'll get him. Both of them. Come on. We have to get back to headquarters and report this."

Future: Omega Ranger then saw one of the Time Force camera indicators beeping on his console as he typed what he saw. He pushed the button and saw Nathadian Ranger appear from a vortex. Omega Ranger checked the time signature and It was exactly at the same time that Nathadian Ranger and the Rogue Watcher September had vanished.

"Fast guy..." Omega muttered as he began to index again.

Nathadian Ranger looked around. He was on the same beach as Zordon and Rita. "I hope I'm not too late!"

Nathadian Ranger began sprinting down the shoreline. "Guardian!? Why am I so far away!?"

"It's the Ghost of Darkness. He is causing time disturbances around Rita." The Guardian replied. "I got you as close as I could."

"Ugh! You shouldn't have benched me! _I_ would have been able to get everything done faster!" Nathadian Ranger complained.

"You were injured. I did what I had to." Guardian stated simply.

He then saw it. Nathadian Ranger could see Zordon as the Meledon Ranger and Saba battling Rita while Gosei and Master Mao took on Goldar. He kept running, even faster at that point. His muscles ached with every step. He tuned his computer's helmet to hear what was happening in the bubble.

"Meledon Conversion: Blue Battery!" Meledon Ranger shouted. He knew not why he was prompted to say that but, just as it was with most of what his powers prompted him to do, he went along with the impression. His red suit was suddenly blue. Instead of a helmet, he wore a blue mask over his eyes. The suit was very similar to the one he used when he had shouted White Battery in his battle against Burai, when he had returned to life as the Bio Mech Black Ranger.

"No! Don't!" Nathadian Ranger yelled. Everything was going the way the Guardian had predicted.

"Hope Blast!" Meledon Ranger: Hope yelled. Blue Energy enveloped Rita.

As it did, unknown to anyone, including Nathadian Ranger, the Ghost of Darkness scowled. "Oh, no you don't! Rita belongs to me! Listen to me, my child! Use your Time Magic now!"

Feeling the prompting from the Ghost of Darkness, but not knowing it was from him, Rita cried out: "Magical source: Time Warp!"

"Nooo! Nooo!" Nathadian Ranger screamed.

"Zordon! Watch out!" Saba shouted. As the Time Magic flew through the air, Saba jumped up to push Meledon Hope out of the way.

"Agh!" Meledon Ranger screamed, falling to the floor and demorphing to his base red suit. Saba fell as well. Meledon tried pulling himself up but couldn't.

"Bye bye, Zordon! Ah-hahaha!" Rita cackled.

Meledon Ranger clenched his fist as he lay on his stomach. "Nathadian Containment Spell!"

After a large flash of light, both Saba and Zordon were gone. As the bubble disintegrated, Nathadian Ranger fell to his knees. He clenched his fist and shook his head.

"I was too late... if I had seen that Freelancer perched up in the tree, I wouldn't have been hit and..." Nathadian Ranger said, letting his voice trail off.

"I am sorry. I know this meant a lot to you." The Guardian said, trying to console his ranger.

"If this has happened, then that means Trinity I'm already in trouble. I'm going after her." Nathadian Ranger declared, standing up.

"No. We need to recalculate. We can't ruin the timeline!" Guardian said.

"I have to save her!" Nathadian Ranger countered. Before he could utter another word, a vortex engulfed him and he was gone.

Back with Rita, Goldar was showing some impressive moves. Channeling his frustration from losing Cyclopsis, he was more than enough to battle both Gosei and Mao. His battle was interrupted, however, by Rita.

"Boys!? We're done here! Let's go home!" Rita cried out. She teleported herself and Finster back to the Moon Palace. Squatt and Baboo teleported right after her.

"Er... Looks like you lose!" Goldar said, laughing. He then vanished in a ball of flames.

Gosei frowned. "Where's Zordon!?"

"Ay-yi-yi..." Alpha 4 said, looking away.

Dimitria was the one to answer, and because the situation was hard for her, she reverted back to her question mode of speaking. "Would it surprise you if I were to say Rita defeated Zordon? Would it make sense if I told you I watched him vanish with my own eyes?"

Mao frowned. "That's impossible. He is the strongest fighter I know!"

"All I know, Master Mao..." Gosei said. "Is that I don't see him right now. We _must_ find Zordon."

. . .

Deviot looked down on the planet as Cub screamed in anguish, confused and lost.

"That beast is hideous. Why are we staring at it?" Bio Mech Silver asked.

"It is an experiment I started millions of years ago. I had been preoccupied with other things at the time it broke out and I lost track of him. I saw this energy signature pop up on my computer and I had to come here and see for myself! He has become more magnificent than I could have hoped..." Deviot said, staring at Cub as it attacked a fire beast that was native to the hot planet.

"What will you do with it?" Bio Silver asked.

"I'm not sure yet. I'll figure something out. Oh, and how are the other Bio Mech Rangers?" Deviot asked, not taking his eyes off Cub.

"They are charged and ready." Bio Silver replied.

"Good... Take them back to Earth, then. See if Bansheera needs you to do anything. I'm going to stay and monitor this guy..." Deviot said. He grabbed a chair and pulled it to him, sitting in it and staring, lost in thought.

"Yes, Master Deviot." Bio Mech Silver replied. He then turned and made his way to the lab, ready to activate his evil ranger partners to attack Earth.

. . .

"Zordon!" Trinity screamed. She woke up and found herself sitting in a chair, in a cave.

"Hmm? Zordon?" Michael, King of the Ethereals, asked. He was standing to the side, holding holding a Power Card in his hand.

"He's my husband. I just had an awful dream that... wait. Who are you!? What am I doing here!?" Trinity demanded. She tried getting up but found she could not.

"I am Michael. I am the harbinger of the Holy War. And you are going to help me."

"What are you talking about!? Let me go!"

"You'll find that you are stuck to that chair. I bonded you to it. Don't worry... I'll let you go soon, young miss." Michael said, focusing on the card.

Fear struck her. "Who are you!? What do you want with me!?"

"I already told you that. Do not worry. Soon, you will be one of the most powerful beings in the universe. I am so lucky to have found you. Someone with a strong connection to the Morphing Grid. The prophecies were right. Earth _is_ the place." Michael said. He smiled as the silver card turned black.

"Let me go!" Trinity screamed.

"I will... very soon, in fact. Soon, you will be my loyal soldier. Together, we will start the Holy War."

. . .

Rita appeared on the balcony of her Moon Palace. Unbeknownst to her, on the other side in Zedd's throne room, Dark Specter was awaiting her. He was curious to see what her plan had been, because although she had helped destroy Cyclopsis, she had done so apparently to destroy Zordon. He was ready to promote her to be his right hand, so she would serve under his reign as the Queen of Evil.

As Goldar and the rest of the crew appeared on the balcony, the gang was shocked to see Scorpina before them.

"What!? I thought you were captured!" Goldar exclaimed.

Scorpina nodded. "I _am_. This body is just an avatar I control. I stung someone with my stinger and implanted in them a remnant remnant of myself."

"Well, good timing! Rita just destroyed Zordon!" Squatt proclaimed.

"That's right! Ah-hahaha!" Rita said happily.

"Fantastic news." Scorpina said. She actually did not care. Her only concern was getting Rita to help her get to her true body, so she could hurry and return to Dai Shi, who she knew not had been captured.

"Yes, it is! I- huh?" Rita said. She suddenly saw two red beams descend onto the balcony. She didn't know they were from Zordon's containment spell. They were slightly slowed due to the Time Magic that had been placed on Zordon, causing them to appear so much time after the spell had been cast.

Goldar and Scorpina leapt out of the way. Before any of them knew what happened, the red beam materialized into a small bin, the Nathadian Magic becoming a red jewel on its lid. A mist escaped from the bin and wrapped itself around the group of villains. As it did, they were compressed into the mist and sucked into the bin. The lid fell onto the bin and began glowing, signifying it was locked.

In the bin, Rita screamed. "Nooo! I had won! No-oh-oh!"

"Zordon will pay for this!" Goldar cried out, sounding more and more hoarse due to the hit to his throat.

Scorpina shook her head. _What are the odds I get trapped, and_ _also_ _my avatar!?_

Rita sneered. "I will get out of here! And when I do... Zordon will pay!"

. . .

"Zordon? Zordon? Where are we?" Saba asked.

Zordon, lying face first on the ground, slowly regained consciousness. He lifted himself up and looked around. As far as the eye could see, Zordon could see dirt covered ground. The sky was a dark purple color. Every few minutes thunder could be heard rolling in the distance, but never could he or Saba detect any lightning. There was a lone tree standing in the middle of the landscape near them, but it appeared to have died long ago. The horizon seemed to stretch on for eternity, with no other landmarks as far as he could see, save the dead tree.

"I have no clue." Zordon said. He sat down again upon the dirt, bringing his knees to his chest. "How long was I out?"

"I don't know." Saba said. "Minutes? Hours? I lost track of time myself."

"What do you do now, Saba?" Zordon asked, looking up into the purple sky. "How did we get here and how do we get out? I need to get back to Trinity. I need to make sure my spell worked against Rita. I... I just need to get back."

"As do I. I'm afraid if I'm not around Black Lion will rip Leon's head off." Saba said, laughing a bit.

"Zordon of Eltar..." A voice said from behind the duo.

Zordon sprang up and spun around to see who was speaking to him. His eyes landed on a figure he hadn't seen in two millenia.

"Guardian? How did you get here?" Zordon asked.

The Guardian sighed. "There is a lot I need to fill you in on. A lot I neglected to tell you the first time we met two thousand years ago. Zordon... It is time for me to tell you the truth about who you are."


	39. Part 0-Chapter 20:Everything Falls Apart

**Chapter Twenty: Everything Falls Apart**

Lothor, still glowing, looked to Zurgane. "Before I dispose of these pests, I would appreciate it if you used the Sword of Light on them. I want their powers for myself."

"Yes, Lothor." Zurgane said. He lifted up the Sword of Light and focused. As he did, Sentinel Knight lifted himself up to his feet.

"Drop that sword now, Zurgane!" Sentinel demanded.

Zurgane laughed. "And now your power belongs to Lothor."

A crackle of electricity shot out of the Sword of Light toward the fallen fighters. Sentinel Knight gripped Excelsior and swung it before him. The sword took the full brunt of the attack. Focusing onto the Corona Aurora, Sentinel Knight caused the blast to bounce off of him and back to the sword.

"Ahhh!" Zurgane screamed as the blast caused an explosion, throwing him back. As he fell, the Sword of Light fell and skidded to the ground.

"You're next!" Triassic Geki said, walking forward and pointing at Lothor.

"Don't make me laugh!" Lothor cried out. "Zocato!"

As the blast shockwaved from Lothor, an electric barrier appeared around those who Lothor had tried to attack. Irritated, Lothor looked around until he saw the source of the interference.

Mythical Master laughed as he turned the force field off using his wrist tech. "It looks like you were right, Regina: we can't use Magic here. Good thing science is still on our side."

Beelzebub stepped forward and laughed. "So this clown is our mark? What a joke..."

Regina shook her head. "Don't let his appearance fool you."

Thor gripped Mjölnir tightly as he stared at the Demons. "You match the appearance of those you destroyed the Planet of Dawn."

Lothor laughed. "Yes... I can feel it! You possess the missing piece of the Crystal of Doom! Thank you for delivering it to me!"

Loki sneered as he stared at Loki(D). "The abomination that came from me! I will crush you!"

Dan ran to the side of the T-Rex, who roared as she stared at Beelzebub. Dan nodded. "That's right. That big red guy is our target."

Tycon looked to Octomus. "What do you wish for us to do, Master?"

Octomus gripped his left arm in pain. Suddenly, a massive tentacle shot out from Octomus' back. "Ahh! We need to get out of here."

Dai Shi stared in shock and awe at Octomus. As he did, around them dinosaurs, Demons, the two High Ones, and fighters began clashing. "Well, what are we waiting for!?"

"If you've forgotten, I have no Magic here. I can't get us out!" Octomus yelled in pain and frustration. While he did, a velociraptor lunged at them. Octomus swung his new tentacle and clotheslined the Dinosaur.

Tycon yelled. "Stay behind me, Master! I will open up a way!"

As Tycon began tackling Dinosaurs, Dai Shi and Octomus moved to the side. They found themselves once again behind the crates they had been behind when they had launched the Ten Terrors against Lothor during the Great City's grand opening festival.

"It looks as if I'm not the only one who has changed..." Dai Shi said, referencing his new Dragon body as he pointed a hand at Octomus' new tentacle.

Octomus nodded, gritting his teeth. "Yes... I believe it was because of that Master Xandred. Something about his Magic is causing me to mutate into something horrible. What happened to you, by the way?"

As an explosion occurred in the distance, Dai Shi grunted. "Those new fighters riding those Dinosaurs used some odd, shovel like sword on me. They called it the Wild Sword. I lost in a battle against it and it slowly transformed me into this thing."

"Well, I can sense much power coming from you. It seems to have done you a favor." Octomus said. As he did, he fell to a knee, doubled over in pain.

Dai Shi scoffed. "Not cosmetically..."

As Dai Shi bent over to look at Octomus, Zen looked down on them from the top of the city wall. He and Lokar stood in the corridor leading from one tower to another.

Zen stared down, emotionless. He then handed the Gem of Souls to Lokar. "Here you go."

Lokar looked at him in surprise. "Me?"

Zen nodded. "Yes, you. We are a team, are we not? I trust you with the first attack."

Gripping the Gem of Souls tightly, Lokar nodded. "Okay, so I just touch the gem to their skin and it will sap them of their soul, correct?"

Zen nodded. "You seem to understand it. Now let's start our crusade of power.

Lokar nodded and leapt down to the duo beneath him. Before he could react, Dai Shi looked up and grunted in surprise as Lokar landed on him, jabbing the Gem of Souls into his left arm.

"Lokar!? You'll pay for this!" Dai Shi screamed.

Not knowing that Dai Shi had become such a beast, Lokar did not recognize the multi-headed Dragon before him. "I know not how you know me, but prepare to fuel the beginning of my empire!"

Almost as if on cue, the Gem of Souls began to glow an eerie green color. Lokar laughed as an powerful mist erupted from it. He then looked in confusion as a gold light erupted from Dai Shi and mixed with the green mist.

"What in the world...!?" Lokar screamed as the mist began to chase after him. He ran as fast as he could, to escape the green mist embedded with Dai Shi's Dragon Spirit that had been tainted by the Wild Sword. His heart dropped as he found himself in a dead end. He turned around slowly and frowned as he was surrounded by the gold/green mist. His mouth was open as he screamed, but no sound could be heard. Before long, Lokar had disappeared.

Zen looked at the spot where Lokar had once been and down at his remote control. He pushed a button and the Gem of Souls teleported off of Dai Shi and into his hands.

"Interesting..." Zen remarked outloud. He thought about how after Lokar had leapt down to attack Dai Shi, he had taken out his remote control and had reprogrammed the Gem of Souls to attack not only Dai Shi, but also Lokar. The gem was supposed to take both of their souls, but somehow whatever the Wild Sword had done to Dai Shi had protected him from the Gem of Soul.

Zen then frowned as he looked the gem over. "Lokar's soul is not in here... Where did he go?" Zen shook his head. He did not understand how Dai Shi had affected the attack on Lokar, but knowing that he seemed to make the gem malfunction, Zen pocketed the Gem of Souls. He didn't want to risk it backfiring on him as well. Knowing he had no soul himself, he didn't want to find out what the Gem of Souls would do to him. He made his way to the closest tower to him and decided to rethink how he was going to attack Lothor's base next.

As Zen walked to the tower, he noticed something happening outside the city. Looking down, he saw a Dinoman he knew not, Gruumm, carrying Lije of the Dawn in his arms. As Gruumm sprinted, Zen saw Diabolico shooting Black Energy shots at Gruumm.

"Leave me alone!" Gruumm screamed. "I'm just trying to get this little girl to safety!"

Diabolico laughed. "Don't take me for a fool. I know who she is: that is Lije of the Dawn! When my master saw you carrying her away, he demanded that I bring her to him! Her power will be ours!"

Looking up from Gruumm's arms, Lije scowled. "You... want my... power so much? Here! Star Blast!"

The star on Lije's forehead glowed brightly as an intense blast erupted from it. It soared toward Diabolico.

"Nice try..." Diabolico said, laughing. He reverted to his Spirit form and encircled the blast. He then raced forward as a black cloud of Demonic essence and entered into Lije.

"Nooo! Master!" Gruumm screamed, gently placing Lije to the ground. He watched as she opened her eyes. He gasped when he saw they were as black as night.

"Yes! Such power!" Diabolico cried out from Lije's mouth. She stood up and laughed as she looked at Gruumm. "Do not worry, you pitiful Dinoman. I will give her back to you. Now that I have her Star Power for myself, I do not need such a weak vessel."

Gruumm screamed in horror as Lije opened her mouth. A massive black cloud erupted from it and into the Great City, soaring past Zen who watched in amazement.

Gruumm, almost in tears, ran and caught Lije before she fell down. "Are you okay!?"

Lije coughed. "He took... what made me a member of the Dawn... I am very weak. I need... help..."

Gruumm nodded. "I will try and find something for you."

Zen watched as Gruumm once again scooped Lije into his arms and began sprinting away, toward their ship, the Ragnarok. He nodded and began walking back to the tower. _A Demon with the power of the Dawn. That beast will be a most formidable opponent for years to come..._

Back in the main courtyard of the Great City, Loki(D) slammed into a wall as Rikku stabbed him with her blades, which happened to be made of iron, and he was hit in the chest by Loki's staff. Rikku then back flipped off the Demon and landed next to Loki.

"Take that, you-" Loki began.

"Star Power!" Diabolico shouted, materializing before them. Loki leapt before Rikku and took the brunt of the blast. He flew into Rikku and they both soared into a wall themselves.

"Wow! Diabolico! Is that star on your chest from...?" Loki(D) asked.

Diabolico nodded. "Yes, my friend. I now have the Star Power for myself. With my Demon powers coupled with it, I will be stronger than ever before!"

The two Demons then made their way to Beelzebub. As they did, they watched him finish his battle with a triceratops. They laughed as they heard the mighty beast's neck snap as Beelzebub finally was able to get all of his hands around it to give it a violent twist.

"Beelzebub. I have the Star Power..." Diabolico said. Behind him, Beelzebub saw Lothor shoot a blast of Zocato power at Triassic Geki, App, Jor, Jakon, Thor, and Sentinel Knight. Simultaneously, Mythical Master shot a blast at Lothor, causing him to fall to his knees.

"Excellent. After we leave here, I wish to have it." Beelzebub said. Diabolico stood uneasily as Beelzebub made the request.

Regina, who had been standing to the side, walked forward. She had been unable to help during the fight because her Magic was made unusable. She noticed Diabolico's hesitation.

"Ah... the witch. Now, for me to finish what I started here, I require you to teach me your Magic." Beelzebub said.

Regina sneered. "Ha! You haven't destroyed Lothor yet!"

Beelzebub pointed at Lothor, struggling to defend himself from Mythical Master. He was on a knee doing the only thing he could: shoot out blasts of Zocato power. Mythical Master, himself, could not use his arsenal of powerful Magic, so he resorted to using the mighty Freelancer attacks from his stolen wrist tech.

"He will be destroyed once I learn your Magic. Now teach me!" Beelzebub demanded.

Regina scoffed. "You know I cannot here! This city for some reason isn't allowing me to use Magic!"

Beelzebub was fully aware of the situation he had put Regina in and laughed because of it. "The only thing I hear is I have delivered my end of the bargain and you won't deliver your end."

"What!?" Regina shouted. "This isn't right!"

Beelzebub laughed. "Technicality can be rough. I guess now you know to not trust a Demon..."

A red mist erupted from him. Regina tried to run away but the power of Beelzebub's contract that he perverted was too quick. It hit the witch and began to enter her. Beelzebub laughed as Regina screamed in anger and pain.

"She will be a great addition to our army!" Loki(D) declared.

"Yes, she will!" Beelzebub said. He then turned his attention to the warriors who were regrouping as Mythical Master battled Lothor. Mythical Master himself was beginning to feel tired as he was working hard to keep himself unharmed by Lothor's Zocato blasts.

Sentinel Knight clenched a fist. _I wish I knew better how to use this power I have! I feel if I understood it better than I could end this fight!_

Thor began swinging Mjölnir. "These Demons are tough, but we cannot let them take us down!"

App frowned. "Has anyone seen Ivicar!? We need all the help we can get!"

From off to the side, Yuna frowned. _He is right... I need to not be afraid..._

She stepped forward from the shadows. Focusing, she caused her staff to appear in hand. "Animal Spirits of the universe: Hear my call!"

All involved in the battle stopped and stared as three Animal Spirits flew down from the sky and surrounded Yuna. Sentinel Knight stared in awe as a mist of power erupted from Yuna. He then felt worried as the Corona Aurora showed him that the longer the Animal Spirits were helping her, the more of her lifeforce would be used to maintain them.

"Yuna! We can handle this!" Sentinel Knight screamed.

Yuna shook her head. "We need to all stick together!" She then turned to a horse with a golden horn like protrusion coming from its forehead. "Lightning Blast, Ixion!"

Yuna then turned to a giant feathered beast. "Valefor! Energy Blast!"

Turning to the final one, a massive black armored Dragon, Yuna said, "Bahamut! Mega Flare!"

"Black Demon Shield!" A frightening voice yelled out. As all of the blasts raced out at Beelzebub and his crew, a massive shield of Black Energy appeared and saved them.

Yuna fell to her knees as the Animal Spirits vanished. While Sentinel Knight ran to her, everyone else looked up and saw a new Demon step forward. She had massive spikes protruding from her shoulders and jagged teeth coming from mouth. The teeth were so large they forced her mouth to stay in a disturbing quasi-smile.

"I have been reborn with new power! I am the Demon Bansheera!"

Beelzebub laughed, looking from Bansheera to the new star on Diabolico's chest. "Yes! With this new power the universe will succumb to Demon power, and then Michael will see my power!"

Diabolico grunted. _If he wants my Star Power solely for his sibling rivalry, then he is sorely mistaken._

Bansheera laughed silently to herself. _Even in this Magic void of a city, my Nathadian powers seem to have protected me from being brainwashed by Beelzebub. With this new power I will smash him!_

As the Demons Beelzebub, Bansheera, Diabolico, and Loki(D) stared on at their victims (Sentinel Knight, Yuna, Thor, Triassic Geki, Dan, Goushi, Mei, Boi, App, Jor, and Jakon), a blast from one of the walls caused them all to turn and look. Even Mythical Master and Lothor stopped to see what the commotion was.

"In defense of the universe have I come to end this madness." The Alpha Gargoyle, Goliath, said. Behind him were the other Alpha Monsters: Deviot, Fenrir, Roman, and Serrator.

Beelzebub laughed. "Fellow Alphas... welcome! You can now help me finish these vermin!"

Deviot shook his head. "I believe you are mistaken... we are here to destroy you and your progeny as well."

Roman adjusted his tie and nodded. "Oh, yes. You can't call yourself one of us when it is convenient for you."

"We've tried to reach out to you, but you have made it very clear you are trying to wipe the universe of everything except your progeny. Even other Monsters." Fenrir stated.

Serrator laughed. He lifted up a bladed hand. "It is time to weed you all out of the universe."

Goliath nodded. "Yes. I have heard of the evil of your fighting has caused in the universe. Several planets have been destroyed. I will not allow this to happen."

"This is a misunderstanding!" Jor yelled out, putting his arms into the air. "We're the good guys!"

Serrator laughed and shot a blast at Jor. Jakon and App ran to him as he gripped his chest in pain. "Likely story."

"Hmm... Why wasn't I invited to the family reunion?" Auron asked, landing in between the Alphas and those already in the Great City.

Yuna, being helped to her feet, sighed in relief. "Auron!? I thought you were destroyed back at the ship!"

Auron smirked. "It takes more than an explosion to destroy the Alpha Zombie."

Deviot laughed. "It didn't even know you were still alive! Haha! This should be very interesting indeed!"

Auron shook his head. "Not today, I'm afraid." He then pulled out a small device and pushed a button. He then pointed it to the group behind him. Suddenly, the only people left in the Great City courtyard were the Demons and the Alphas.

As they teleported away, Mythical Master was blasted as he stared at the scene. He fell to his back in pain.

"Huh?" Lothor said, limping up to his feet. Zurgane, finally waking up, used his normal sword that he had in its hilt as a cane as made his way to his master.

"Let me get you to safety." Ivicar stated, running to his master.

Zurgane looked around. "It would seem as if we are not being followed..."

Lothor, looking at Ivicar, laughed as they began making their way to the nearest tower. "Zocato? You? I'm impressed!"

"I've been practicing." Ivicar said as they entered the tower.

Meanwhile, as Lothor, Zurgane, and Ivicar retreated into the tower that they knew not also housed Zen, as Dai Shi and Octomus met up again with a worn out Tycon, and as the Alphas continued to get ready to fight the Demons, a time vortex opened. From the vortex, the Freelancers D and Chen walked out.

"It seems as if the President is extremely upset." D said.

Chen nodded. "Yes, he is. And rightfully so. Never has such a problem occurred in the Pattern. That Watcher, September, caused many problems. It is near impossible to predict anything in this timeline now."

"So, what does the Traveler wish for me to do?" D asked.

"First? To secure the Freelancer tech stolen from us." Chen said, pointing down to Mythical Master as he pulled himself to his feet.

"Then?" D asked.

"Continue with your project. The Traveler said his plans won't be asked greatly by the disturbances to the Pattern. He wishes for you to stay in this universe and to be flexible to ensure that energy is stored. I will continue to be your handler. Let me know if there is anything you are concerned with. Remember that if things get too bad to grab what energy you can and make your way to the base." Chen ordered.

D nodded, while looking to Mythical Master. "Consider it done. I guess this timeline is my home now."

Chen laughed as he conjured up a time vortex. "Don't get too comfortable. Remember that this universe will only be useful for as long as the Traveler needs it."

D nodded. "Then, until next time."

Chen returned the nod and entered back into the time vortex. As he did, D began to calmly make his way to Mythical Master.

Outside the Great City, the group of fighters landed from Auron's teleportation.

"No! Rikku!" Yuna screamed, tears falling down her cheeks.

"Yuna! I'm here! It's okay!" Rikku said, walking up next to Auron. Loki was behind her.

Auron nodded. "I got them out first. They needed some mending."

"Power down." Sentinel Knight said almost by instinct. Tidus stood where the armored warrior had been, still holding onto the Sword Excelsior. "How, Auron? How did you get us out?"

"I think I can answer that..." Rumple said as teleported in himself. With him were Mary, Emma, Baelfire, Will, Anastasia, and Belle.

"Who are you?" App asked, stepping forward.

"My name is Rumple. These are my friends and family. We're here to try and make sure Lothor doesn't succeed."

Jakon looked at them curiously. "How do you know Lothor? Where do you come from?"

Mary gave him a kind smile. "We should probably start from the beginning. My name is Mary. We come from a land very far from here that was destroyed by Lothor. We are called the Nathadians."


	40. Pt3- Ch20: The Conditions of Banishment

**Chapter Twenty: The Conditions of Banishment**

"What do you mean, 'the truth'!?" Zordon asked angrily. "I'm getting tired of everything crashing down around me, and now you say you lied to me!?"

The Guardian shook his head. "I did not lie to you... I just did not tell you everything. When we met, you had not even obtained your birthright to the Order of Meledon."

Saba looked from Zordon to the Guardian and back. "Birthright!? What do you mean by that!?"

The Guardian sighed. "I will need to start over. About 165 Million years ago. In another universe, there was a very evil man by the name of Lothor. He was a part of an evil design, set to destroy his universe before eventually going on a crusade to destroy every universe in existence. Unbeknownst to Lothor, however, were beings called Watchers. They watch over the multiverse to ensure things go according to what they call the Pattern. One of them, through some events I have yet to uncover, had a change of heart and began trying to help the people of this universe fight against the Pattern.

"His actions caused terrible consequences for Lothor, and also brought Lothor's plan to the attention of the other Watchers. The Watchers arrived in that universe and began attempting to thwart Lothor, to ensure he did not disrupt the Pattern.

"Now, during the course of these events, something happened. The Watcher, named September, forged a friendship with a scientist by the name of Laguna Loire. He and his wife, Raine, had two children: a young girl named Ellone and a small toddler boy named Squall. During the events of the Watchers trying to destroy Lothor, September had predicted a high probability that their universe would not survive. He gave this information to Dr. Loire and also helped him create a machine through which Laguna and his family could escape that universe. All of this was unseen by the Watchers.

"Unfortunately, as soon as Laguna turned the machine on, the captain of the Watchers, Windmark, came down and stopped them. September was unable to help them, because he was trying to help the other Watchers stop Lothor..."

Zordon watched as the Guardian waved his hand. In midair before them, a small hologram appeared. It showed a lab area and a tall man with long black hair. He went over to a kind looking woman sitting on a chair with long, brown hair. On her lap was a young boy with brown hair, and beside her was a young girl with short brown hair, chin length. The man with long hair bent over and hugged the woman.

"Okay, Raine..." The man said, looking into her eyes. "Here we go."

"I'm afraid, Daddy..." The girl said.

"I know, I know. But listen..." The man who Zordon deduced was Laguna said. "Soon we will all be in a new place and we will be safe."

The girl looked to her right, outside of the view of the hologram. "Can we bring Scruffy?"

Raine laughed. "Yes, we can bring Scruffy, Ellone."

Suddenly, a small red cat-like creature ran to Ellone. It looked very familiar to both Zordon and Saba.

"Wait... I thought I was one of a kind! We never found any other species like mine!" Saba declared, unable to take his eyes off the hologram.

Zordon narrowed his look and stared at the Guardian. "What is this?"

Guardian pointed at the hologram. "Watch..."

"Okay, big guy." Laguna said, looking at the boy who must have been Squall. "Come and help me push the button over here."

"I help, Daddy! I help!" Squall said happily. Laguna lifted him up and put his hand on Squall's. "Together", they pushed a button.

A large machine to the side of the family sparked. From it, a blue and red swirling vortex emerged. Laguna straightened up, almost in reverence to the vortex. Raine took Squall from Laguna's arms and rested her shoulder on Laguna's arm.

"Is this what Uncle September was helped you make, Daddy?" Ellone asked, staring at it in wonder.

"Yes. He said he figured out that this door would take us somewhere nice. A place where we could all have the best possible lives we could get." Laguna said, nodding.

"So we just walk in?" Raine asked.

Suddenly, the machine sparked. The vortex began disappearing. The family looked around and were surprised to see a man in a suit staring at them. He wore a calm look on his face. On his head, there seemed to be no hair at all.

"Interesting. You seemed to have created a time bubble around the machine." The man said. "I had a hard time getting to it, and even then I could not completely destroy it. Before I bring you in, you must tell me how you managed to create this thing."

Laguna had a look of terror on his face. "He is one of the men we were told about! Run, Raine!"

As Raine tucked Squall into her arms and began to run toward the portal, the Watcher pulled out a pocket device and pointed it at her. A blue bolt escaped from it. As it sailed to Raine, Laguna jumped in its way, taking the hit.

"Ahhh!" Laguna cried out.

"Daddy!" Ellone screamed. The cat creature, Scruffy, leapt from her arms and jumped at the Watcher. He cocked his head and batted the animal away, causing it to skid across the floor toward the malfunctioning machine.

"Ellone! Run! I'll get you later!" Laguna said, hoping she would listen.

More concerned with Raine, the Watcher ran easily over to her and grabbed her by the shoulder as she got within three feet of the portal. "Why run? You are disrupting the Pattern and I must stop you. Do not run."

Laguna then pulled himself up and pointed a gun at the Watcher and fired. In blinding speed, the Watcher turned and caught the laser beam in his hand, seemingly absorbing it. As he did this, Raine ripped free and tried to run to the portal.

The Watcher turned around and pushed her. She fell onto her back and cried out. He then looked at Laguna. "I am Windmark, the lead Watcher. Surrender now and tell me your secrets."

"You'll destroy me if I tell you!" Laguna screamed, holding onto his ribcage as it ached. He quickly glanced around the room and was relieved not to see Ellone anywhere.

"I need to know how you learned to make this machine." Windmark said, not answering to Laguna's accusation.

"I'll tell you nothing!" Laguna spat.

"Unfortunate. I will have to force you to face the consequences of your silence, then." Windmark replied. Before Laguna could react, he pointed his pocket device at Laguna and shot him again. Raine screamed in horror as Laguna vanished before her eyes.

Raine's mind was racing at one hundred miles per hour as she pulled herself up to a sitting position. She could see the machine faltering. As Windmark turned to her, tears streaming down her face, she looked at Squall and said, "I love you!"

She then turned and tossed the two year old boy into the portal. She screamed in emotional anguish as she watched the portal swallow her son. As it did, due to it already malfunctioning, the portal began to heave and seize.

Scruffy, having watched Squall get thrown into the portal, roared. He then leapt in after Squall. As that happened, the portal turned black before shutting down.

"That was foolish." Windmark said. "That will disrupt the Pattern greatly. To where was that portal programmed to go?"

Raine, hardly able to breathe as tears poured from her eyes, shook her head. She buried her face into her hands and continued to sob.

"You are sad that I took away your mate. I will end your suffering." Windmark said. Raine looked up in horror as she saw him point his pocket device at hef. Before she could scream, she was zapped.

"I must figure out how to repair the damage..." Windmark said. He pushed a button on his device and walked through a Time Door. He then vanished.

Crawling out from under a table, Ellone was as pale as a sheet. "Mommy!? Daddy!? Squall!?" She then sat down in the middle of the floor and began sobbing. After a few brief moments, a flash of white light erupted in the room and the hologram ended.

"What happened!?" Saba asked angrily.

The Guardian looked down. "At that moment, Lothor escaped that universe and, in revenge, destroyed it. From there, he landed in the universe you just came from."

"Just came from?" Zordon asked.

Guardian nodded. "You are now caught in a time warp. You are no longer in any universe."

"Why did you show us that family?" Saba asked.

Guardian waved his hand again, showing another hologram. Squall could be seen lying in the grass outside a small village. A man saw him and bent over. Zordon watched in amazement as the boy's hair began to turn blue.

"What is this?" Zordon asked.

"Because Squall entered the portal when it was malfunctioning, he was caught in a sort of limbo during that time. For hundreds of millions of years, he was in stasis before being shot out to the destination September had originally calculated for he and his family to arrive. It was to be on a planet with beings that were identical in biology to their own people. A planet called Eltar. The boy's physiology interacted with the Time portion of the Universal Magic Grid and caused his hair to turn blue once it hit the universe proper. Zordon, your birth name is Squall. You were born into a people who were of the Order of Meledon."

"And that means that I'm..." Saba began.

"A few hundred years later, you appeared on a planet. My guess is universal equilibrium brought you to the same planet Zordon had been on, since you two are of the same universe." The Guardian said.

"Then why haven't I been targeted by these Watchers?" Zordon asked, not so much skeptical but curious.

"You arrived millions of years after Lothor and another band of survivors from your home universe did. With September's help as he pulled the wool over the eyes of his people for a bit before they caught him, he was able to create what they call the Time Anomaly in this universe. The Pattern is so unstable here that they can't tell anymore what belongs here and what doesn't. The universe itself, though, can. I believe the universe has set you up to be in a situation where you would once again become an interdimensional being." Guardian explained.

"Why are we not in stasis, then?" Saba asked.

"I believe Zordon's Meledon powers protected him." Guardian replied.

"What is the Order of Meledon, then? How did I get these ranger powers?" Zordon asked, head reeling.

"Your people were of a religion who inherited these powers through their obedience to its precepts. Their history is not one I have studied in depth, but I know they had a large stake in their Universal Magic Grid. I also know that the basis of Meledon is Nathadian Magic. One does not need to be of Meledon to tap into that portion of the Magic Grid, but I do know that the only way to fully tap into it it is by adhering to the rules of the Order of Meledon.

"The Tribunal of Magic felt you when you appeared on Eltar. They have been watching you. When you arrived on Liaria with Dulcea and she prayed over you, it gave the Tribunal access over you to give you what they believe is your birthright." Guardian finished explaining.

"And what of Zocato?" Saba asked.

"A dark Anti-Magic. That is all I know about it, outside what the Tribunal already explained. It isn't something I believe is of importance in the grand scheme of things." Guardian said.

"What _is_ the grand scheme? Or is that something I'm not ready to learn yet?" Zordon asked in frustration.

"I am sorry I withheld information from you before. I felt it would have confused you. Please understand...

"As for the grand scheme? All I have been able to foresee is great wars coming in the future. They revolve around Earth and you, Zordon, will create a grand legacy. I believe that legacy is what will save the multiverse." Guardian stated.

"From what?" Saba asked.

"I don't know... it is all very complicated. Suffice it to say I do not believe there is one source of calamity."

"Why does this place look completely different than the last time we met?" Zordon asked.

"This is not the same place. I am broadcasting to you from the Hall of Legends. You are in a pocket dimension all your own. I actually must end this discussion soon. The Watchers want to gain access to the Hall and the longer I speak with you, the more likely they will trace the Hall's location."

"Okay, then... how do we get out?" Saba asked, looking around.

"Rita hit you with a very powerful spell. The only reason you are conscious is your Nathadian Magic. I don't know of there _is_ a way out. Do not worry, though... I will not give up on you two. I will visit you again, from time to time."

"One last question... Who is the Nathadian Ranger?" Zordon asked.

Guardian laughed. "I cannot answer that question. Nathadian Ranger works under the power of the Order of Meledon. We chose the name Nathadian Ranger to not confuse it with your ranger designation. I must not reveal Nathadian's true identity, because I need all of the power the Nathadian Ranger can muster to help the universe."

"Aren't you then interfering with the universe? Why?" Saba asked.

"One reason was to help try and stop you two from being caught by Rita, but another mission got in the way. We were able to secure September."

Zordon looked at Guardian. "May I speak to him?"

Guardian nodded. Suddenly, September appeared in his place. He smiled. "Squall... it is good to know you and Scruffy made it out alive. I felt much guilt over your family."

Zordon looked at Saba and then to September again. "Thank you for saving us."

September gave him a sad smile. "I wish I could have done more for-"

Then, Saba and Zordon were alone.

"Now what?" Saba asked, looking around.

Zordon sighed and shook his head. "I have no clue."

. . .

Rita sighed as she plopped down in the middle of the canister she found herself in. "My Magic can't break us out of here! This is awful! What do I do!?"

"How about we crawl to the top and push really hard on the lid?" Squatt asked.

"That won't work, dummy!" Baboo said, slapping Squatt in the back of the head. "We can't climb up the walls because they're smooth!"

"What if we make a long ladder made of all of us!?" Squatt countered.

"Argh! Quiet!" Goldar complained, coughing as he did.

"What is wrong, oh mighty Goldar?" Finster asked, hearing how odd his voice sounded.

"When I was battling Mao and Gosei, one of them struck me in the throat and my voice is feeling odd!" Goldar said, speaking very quickly and rougher than usual. The more he spoke the more his throat hurt. As he approached the end of his sentence, it sounded as if he were speaking while gasping for air.

"Shut up! You're all giving me a headache!" Rita screeched.

"Ah... what is this!?" Lord Zedd asked as he walked out to Rita's balcony. He picked up the container where Rita and her gang had been imprisoned.

"Zedd! It is me! Rita! Get me out of here!"

"Do my ears deceive me, or do I hear Rita Repulsa trapped inside of this thing? Ah-haha! This is priceless!" Zedd said, laughing.

"Okay! You've had your laugh, now _get me out of here_!" Rita screamed.

"I don't know... you see, you see up for a promotion right now, and I don't know if I should work for you. Plus, I believe you got that promotion because _you destroyed my plan with Cyclopsis_!" Zedd said, screaming at the "dumpster".

"Wait! I can explain!" Rita cried out.

"Tell it to the stars! Bye bye, Rita!" Zedd cried out. Cranking his arm back, he tossed the dumpster out into space. He then grabbed his Z Staff and shot the thing, sending it flying off into the depths.

"Nooo! I'll get you Lord Zedd! Just you wait and see! You haven't seen the last of Rita Repulsa!" Rita screamed.

From his temple, the Ghost of Darkness heard all of what had occurred and laughed to himself. _Yes... I will allow my cells to marinate in you for the time being. Then, I will use my powers and guide you back to Earth and then, you will strike back. From there, it will only be a matter of time before the Reunion occurs!_

. . .

Bio Mech Silver looked down on Earth and laughed. "Are you all ready to attack?"

Rahp looked at him. "Who are we attacking?"

"Zordon keeps getting back up from those stupid Order of the Claw misfits. We will attack them now and hard." Bio Silver said, staring at Earth still.

"And afterward, we will crush Zordon himself." Burai said, thoughts of revenge filling his corrupted mind.

"What are we waiting for then? Let's go!" Risp said, standing up from her seat where she had been navigating

"Okay. Talp? Once you all morph set a teleportation signal to the coordinate I am sending to you." Silver said as he typed in the coordinate into his wrist tech.

Filcar looked down at Earth. Something stirred inside of him as he did. He couldn't quite place as finger on what it was, though. He sighed and made his way to his team.

"Bio change: Mech mode!" Rahp called out. "Bio Red."

"Bio Blue."

"Bio Yellow."

"Bio Green."

"Bio Pink."

"Bio Black."

"Bio Silver." Bio Mech Silver said, turning and laughing. "Okay, let's go."

Bio Green nodded and pushed the button, sending them to Earth.

In the Magic Realm, Swoop got an alert on his wrist tech. "Master Rilla! I have seven unknown bio signatures entering the compound!"

Rilla grunted as he set the manuscript box down that contained the Demonified Dai Shi. "What!? That's impossible! Zordon programmed the shield around our base himself. No one could bypass that!"

Master Guin frowned. "Are you sure that is right!?"

Swoop gave her a look. "Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I'm helpless. Yes, I'm sure. Seven entities just teleported onto the grounds without authorization."

At that moment, almost as if on cue, Phant flew in from the door, crashing onto a table. Bio Mech Pink walked in, laughing. "Time to crush you, Order of the Claw!"

Out of the office, in the medical bay, Beast Red woke up to the sounds of explosions. He shook his head stood up. Looking over, he saw Mar-Ran demorphed and sitting on a bench.

"What's happening!?" Beast Red asked urgently.

"I let everyone down..." Mar-Ran said. "I let the Rhino Spirit get the better of me. We could've been destroyed..."

"Mar... listen..." Jak-Am said as he powered down. "We can't dwell on the past. Besides, this probably isn't the best time to be feeling bad for yourself."

"Ouch." Mar-Ran said. "Could be a little more blunt?"

"Do you hear those explosions? Those mean that there are probably people who need help. Our help. _Your_ help." Jak-Am said. "Listen... I have known you for a while now. I'm being hard on you because I am the leader of this team, and I know you're strong and you can handle it. Now... Are you going to just sit there or are you going to let me take all the glory?"

"You? Nah. I couldn't do that, Jak. You'd get all weird and big headed." Mar-Ran said, winking as he got off his bed. "I'll be there to help humble you, I guess."

"Thanks." Jak-Am said, laughing. "Would you do the honors?"

"I'd love to." Mar-Ran said. "Call of the Animal Spirit! With awesome power: Green Rhino!"

"With aerial speed: Red Falcon!"

Tapping into their Kryptonian speed, the two rangers rushed out of the room. They saw Bio Red as they rounded the corner. Beast Green slammed into him, causing him to fly into a wall.

Beast Red then saw Bio Green and Bio Yellow together. He picked them both up and, will all his might, pounded them into the ground. He could feel bones snapping in them as he did.

Beast Green then found himself staring at Bios Silver, Blue, and Black. "I call upon the Rhino Spirit!" Being driven into a blind rage by the Animal Spirit, Beast Green rushed forward.

Bio Silver considered him. "Filcar! Go!"

Bio Blue leapt forward and met the Green Ranger head on. He punched the ranger but all he felt was solid concrete. Before he could react, Beast Green tossed him aside like a rag doll.

"Let us leave, Burai. I don't like where this is going..." Bio Silver said, running some calculations in his head about how powerful the Beast Watch Rangers seemed to be. They both hit buttons on their wrist techs and teleported out.

As they did, Bio Pink came flying out of the main office of the Order of the Claw. Having tapped into their Animal Spirits, animal versions of Master Guin and Master Rilla stepped out, followed by Cubs Phant and Swoop. They looked around the hallway at the floor, littered with the five other Bio Mech Rangers' bodies.

Returning to his normal state, Rilla bent over and checked the pulse on Bio Red. "His pulse is very faint... Who did this?"

At that moment, Beast Red and Beast Green made their way to the Order of the Claw members. Beast Red was the first to speak. "It was us. We woke up and heard them attacking."

"How were the two of you able to defeat four of them so easily?" Guin asked, surprised.

"It's a long story." Beast Green said. As he said that, Bio Pink leapt up and laughed.

"You thought it would be that easy!?" She said. She then pulled out a small device from her belt and tossed it into the office. As she did, Beast Red did a backflip to land beside her. He swung his fist and connected with her helmet, smashing it and causing her to fall to the ground, barely alive. As he did that, Beast Green rushed into the room to grab the device. He tried finding it, but before he could spot where it landed, he felt the room explode around him.

"Mar!" Beast Red screamed, rushing into the room.

Beast Green turned around and shrugged. "I guess we're a lot more resilient than even we thought."

Guin, Rilla, Swoop, and Phant ran into the room. They looked around in shock.

"All of our computers..." Swoop said. "This is going to deactivate all of our shields."

"You have more to worry about than that!" A dark voice bellowed from within the rubble.

Rilla looked in the direction of the voice in shock. "It can't be!"

Phant got into a fighting stance. "The explosion must have released him!"

Beast Green started looking around. "Released who!?"

"You should have known you would not be able to contain me for long!" Dai Shi said in his Demon Cloud form, erupting from the rubble. He then locked eyes with Master Guin and laughed. He shot forward to attack her.

"What in the world is that thing doing!?" Beast Red shouted.

"I don't know! Guin! Guin, can you hear me!?" Rilla shouted.

After all of the smoke had entered into Guin, those in the room could feel goosebumps appear on their flesh as Guin laughed a dark, deep laugh. She was covered in gold light as she began to float into the air. Her eyes were the blackest of black. "Guin is no more! I am Dai Shi! Prepare to meet your end!"

. . .

Gaia Red looked at his Power Card. "I got a signal! This way!"

The other five Gaia Power Rangers followed him. Suddenly, they looked down and saw Bansheera outside of a cave.

"Wind Drive!" Gaia Pink shouted. A wind blast coated with White Energy erupted from her weapon and hit Bansheera square in the stomach.

Bansheera looked up in a rage, transforming into her Demon form. "It's the Ethereal powered Power Rangers! Destroy them!"

As Vypra was about to express her desire to help, she was hit hard in her mind by Ayame Ubi. In the world they created in their mind, the Dragon Demon that was Vypra found herself caught in some sort of Magical net. Ayame Ubi laughed and pointed a large assault blaster at her captor.

"Finally. You're mine." Ubi said. She pulled the trigger and fired at the Demon.

Vypra swung the net she was in and climbed up to the top of the netting, allowing the laser to cut through the bottom of the net. She then laughed and landed on the ground. She began shooting bolts of Black Energy at Ayame Ubi.

The girl trying to regain control of her body frowned and rolled to the right, dodging the blast. She then jumped up and over a rock and slid down a trench into a river. As she floated down the river, she sighed. _So close..._

Meanwhile, in reality, Vypra was staring off into space as Diabolico and Loki(D) attacked the Gaia Rangers in the sky. Loki(D) was blasting at them with his massive bazooka while Diabolico used his shocking Star Power to hit the rangers.

"We have no base up here!" Gaia Green said. "We have to land!"

"Alright, guys." Gaia Red said. "Let's be showy."

The Gaia Rangers the flew down as fast as they could while dodging the blasts of Black Energy targeted at them. As they landed, they pulled out their Power Cards.

Gaia Blue pointed at the Demon Bansheera. "This is your last stand, Bansheera. You better make it count!"

Bansheera laughed. "Such tough talk. I hope you know how to take your own advice..."

At that moment, Jinxer appeared before them, teleported down from Bansheera's ship in orbit. "Ah, Power Rangers! So nice to see you! Hmm... I like your Power Cards." He then pulled out of his pocket several cards, all in one hand. "Let's see how your White Energy powered cards stand against my Black Energy cards!"

. . .

Michael stood at the entrance of the cave at the top of the mountain he had chosen. He closed his eyes and laughed. "Do you feel it, young miss!? I can feel White Energy and Black Energy fighting each other. They are close by... Yes... A preliminary battle. An appetizer, so to speak, for the Holy War."

"You're insane! Let me go!" Trinity screamed. She saw her amulet to the side, buried under some dirt on the cave floor. _If only I could get to it..._

Michael sighed. "Okay, ma'am. It is time..." He pulled the black Power Card from a pocket on in his robe.

"Get away from me! No! No!" Trinity screamed.

Michael smiled. "Once I do this, you will thank me. I am doing this not only for you, or even me... The best thing for the universe is the Holy War. It will ensure no more Demons will bother anyone ever again. What has been prophesied will come to pass."

"Nooo!" Trinity yelled, trying to jump out of her chair. Just as much as ever, the chair felt as if it was glued to the cave ground.

Michael placed the black card to Trinity's forehead. "By the power of the White Energy, I command this Black Energy infused card to mix and create a new creature! A rebirth for this woman!"

Trinity suddenly found herself in a black space. As far as she could see was only black. She jumped as she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She screamed and spun around. She was shocked to see a familiar face.

"Hey, babe." Yoral said, smiling. "Follow me. I'll get you out of here."


	41. Part 0 - Chapter 21: Banished

**Chapter Twenty-One: Banished**

Jor shook his head. "My brother and I have been doing a lot of work around the universe and not once have we ever heard of Nathadians."

Anastasia smiled. "Well, we're not exactly from _this_ universe..."

"Oh, come on, Ana! You may as well not have said anything!" Will complained. "That wasn't an explanation!"

Suddenly, Killian walked up from the side. He frowned at Rumple. "Thanks for giving me the chance to stretch my legs. I guess I didn't need to be teleported up to the top of this blinking hill after all."

Rumple bowed. "At your service."

App got into a fighting stance. "Killian!? I saw you fighting with Regina back on that planet we were on before!"

Rikku frowned. "It had a name... Al Bhed..."

Tidus walked over and gave her a one armed hug from the side. "I'm sorry... he wasn't trying to be rude."

Rikku sighed and looked away from Tidus. "It know... it's just... hard."

As Tidus continued to comfort Rikku, Killian nodded. "You're right. I _have_ been helping her. But I'm no longer doing so."

Rumple turned and gave him a semi-sarcastic look. "Oh, really? So it would seem that not only are we wondering to whom your allegiances lie, but there people who _don't even know you_ are as well. You best start explaining yourself laddie, or you'll find yourself at the wrong end of my Magic."

Jakon cocked an eyebrow and placed a hand to his chin. "Interesting... Killian knows these people, who say they are from another universe. He was in cahoots with Regina, who is also known to these folk. We saw Regina attack Lothor just now, and before it looked like Regina was fairly chummy with Lothor, but she looked more chummy with Killian on Al Bhed... so Lothor, Regina, and Killian are also from your universe, Rumple?"

Jor placed a hand to his mouth and started laughing. "Dude! That was awesome! You are so smart!"

Baelfire laughed. "You're right. That's exactly the case. I'm sorry, could we get some introductions from you guys?"

Auron nodded. "Well, you have already met me. These gentlemen: Jor, Jakon, App, and Tidus were conned like me to be a part of Lothor's Morphing Masters. These two are cousins from a planet destroyed by an artifact of Lothor's. Their names are Rikku and Yuna. These two here are...?"

Thor stood up. "I am Thor, son of Odin. My brother, Loki, and I members of a race of people that have been come to be known as the High Ones. Our people oversee the universe and try to maintain peace for all those in it."

Auron nodded as a thank you to Thor. He then looked around with a puzzled look on his face. "Where is Trueheart?"

Tidus stopped his conversation with Rikku and sighed, looking to the group. "He didn't make it. He sacrificed himself saving me from Lije of the Dawn."

Mary frowned. "I am sorry to hear of your loss."

Emma snorted and scoffed. "Yeah, that tends to happen when dealing with Lothor."

Jakon sighed deeply. "You all seem to have similar feelings toward Lothor that we do. Could you explain how you all came to be in our universe? How does one travel from universe to universe?"

Emma looked at Killian. "I think we should let Killian over here tell us from his perspective, since we all need to know if we can trust him. I mean, we don't even know how he got here."

Mary nodded. "I agree. This may all be some elaborate plan to betray us."

"Go on, pirate. We're waiting." Rumple added.

"Okay. It seems like I'm the man of the hour." Killian said. He adjusted his coat and went over to a large rock, sitting on it. "I was a space pirate, looting planets I found to be weaker than my own. One day, I ran into a young man named Henry-"

"What!?" Baelfire said, jumping up. "You knew my boy!?"

Emma pulled out her sword. "If you had anything to do with his..."

Killian put up his hands. "Whoa, whoa. No, I didn't."

Mary also put up her hands, rushing to stand between Henry's parents and Killian. "Please. Let him finish before we execute him."

Killian flashed her a smile. "How comforting. Anyway, I met Henry. He was running away from his home. One thing led to another and I found myself being attacked by a fearsome witch named Regina. Henry had neglected to tell me his stepmother was the daughter of one of the most horrible witches in history: Cora.

"Well, Regina attempted to murder me until Henry plead my case to Regina. She saw how much he had grown fond of me and, to appease him, not only let me live, but kidnapped me so as to keep Henry company. Henry, being the amazing young man he was, vowed he would help me find my freedom.

"One day, I was in Regina's house when I was shocked to see Rumple enter with a clown. I overheard their conversation. They said they were forming a band of people called the Morphing Masters and they wished to have Regina join them. They explained to her they intended on destroying the universe and starting fresh. They described something called the Greatest Treasure in the Universe, that had the capacity to grant any person their wildest wishes.

"At that point, _Prince Charming_ and his army of grunts rushed Regina's castle, having received word that Rumple was there. You see, at the time but apparently not now, Rumple was a being cursed with great Magic. He was called the Dark One and had recently escaped his prison with the help of the clown, who I later learned went by the name Lothor. While they all fought for their lives, I went and rescued Henry from his room. We had almost gotten away, but Charming himself-"

Mary turned around and slapped Killian. "He didn't know, okay!? And stop calling him Charming like that! He was a good man!"

Belle leapt forward and grabbed Mary by the shoulders. "Stop!"

Killian looked at Mary, tears streaming down her face. "Sorry, Love. I should have been more sensitive. If it is any consolation, he's still alive. He has been brainwashed by the Demons."

"What!? David is alive!?" Mary shouted. She looked halfway hysterical.

"Dad..." Emma said, dropping her sword in disbelief.

Jakon coughed. "Sorry to interrupt, but perhaps we can focus on that after my friends and I are caught up...?"

Killian nodded. "Of course. So, David, Mary's husband by the way, attacked us because he thought we were enemies for some reason. He gravely injured Henry and left me for dead. When he saw it was Henry, who had been kidnapped by Regina five years earlier, he panicked and grabbed him, retreating.

"After Regina and her posse finished destroying the intruders, they found me and I told them what happened. Regina didn't destroy me because I was Henry's friend, but she said she was also impressed by me trying to protect Henry. Lothor said to her later that if she wanted Henry back, she would need to join the Morphing Masters for his help, since he knew how to get to the castle.

"I was left alone in Regina's castle for a time. One day, though, Regina returned from doing whatever she was doing with the Morphing Masters with a plan. She said that she wanted to betray all of them. That they were planning horrible things, such as literally destroying the universe. She explained to me she was going to go along with the plan, but then she would go back and take the Greatest Treasure and wish everyone back to life. I believed her. She wanted me to be in charge of getting Henry back.

"To make a long story short, I made my way into the castle while there was a big brouhaha of fighting going on around the castle. I found Henry but was surprised that he didn't wish to leave with me: he told me he had found his real parents. At the time I did not know he was the child of Baelfire and Emma, who were on iffy terms with the royal family at the time.

"Then, Lothor and the Dark One appear, fighting. I had no idea what was happening. One thing led to another and the castle began exploding. I tried to save Henry but he was lost in the rubble. Then Regina found me. I told her what had happened. She went a little crazy for a moment, but then she said she would make the universe right again. That she had been wrong to want Henry and that when she would bring the universe back with the Greatest Treasure, she would restore Henry to Emma and Baelfire.

"I then watched Lothor become this massive, godlike being and destroy his opposition. He then cracked open some weird egg thing and opened a portal. Regina told me she had gotten on Lothor's good side and he was taking her with him to a new land, where she would restore everything with the Greatest Treasure. She then gave me a locket. She said it would bring me to her, and that she wanted me by her side because I had been so good to Henry.

"Regina then leapt into the portal with Lothor. I watched the portal begin to close, but then some bald man appeared in a suit and kept it open. He turned and said something to the Dark One, who I knew not was Rumple, who then conjured up some sort of ship. Before I knew what was happening, I was teleported to this universe. I suppose that bald man helped you all get to this universe, then.

"Regina then found me and told me to mingle on the planet. She explained that Lothor was going to recreate the Morphing Masters here and she would sneak me in. Then we would betray Lothor and bring back our universe. Everything was going well until recently she revealed to me that she was only using me to steal some power from Violet Energy or something like that, and that she only ever intended on using the Greatest Treasure to bring back Henry, but some distorted version of him that would be completely loyal to her. She wants to rule the universe with him by her side." Killian finished saying. He uncrossed his arms that were over his chest and placed his hands on his knees, waiting for a reaction.

"So you were the one who was with Henry at the end? What were his last words?" Baelfire asked.

"Tell my parents I love them. True story." Killian said.

Emma laughed. "Oh... I miss him... We... we can't let Regina do this. Not only will she slaughter billions upon billions, but she will bring back Henry in a way that I don't want to see..."

Rumple looked down. "Once again... I am sorry..."

Belle shook her head. "No. At that point, you were trying to _save_ us. There is nothing to be ashamed about. It was Lothor who destroyed the castle."

"Maybe, but it was me who helped him get as far as he did. I have a lot of souls on my conscience..." Rumple said sadly.

"Who _is_ Lothor, though? How did he get to be so powerful?" Jakon asked.

Rumple sighed. "He was a court jester in David's court. He told us he stole the plans for what he called White Genesis from some scientist. That's all we know."

"Hmmm... So Lothor did not actually come up with the plan himself. Good to know." Jakon said.

"He is still a threat, though." App said. "We need to bring him down or he will destroy yet another universe."

Tidus nodded. "I agree."

Thor raised a hand. "We would have our hands full, though, with the Alphas."

"Yeah, who were those blokes?" Will asked.

"They are the first of each of their kind. They are very powerful and deadly." Loki answered. "I think what Thor is suggesting is that we let them wear each other out, then we pick off the stragglers."

"Okay. Let's make a battle plan while we wait, then." Tidus said.

Rumple nodded. "Okay... Who will lead us, then?"

App looked to Tidus. "I say Tidus. He has shown himself to be capable time and time again. Plus, his abilities are not Magical and putting that into account, he will be the most powerful of us in the Great City."

Many others nodded in agreement. Tidus then looked around. "Okay, I guess I'll take the lead." He then had them gather around him as they discussed strategies.

. . .

Zen laughed as he saw Ivicar bring Lothor in, with Zurgane trailing shortly after. "You three seem to be a little lost... Unless you were _wanting_ to end up walking to your doom..."

"Zen Aku? That's tough talk from a goody good like you..." Lothor said, sneering.

"I go by the name of Zen now... Things have... changed for me." Zen said, adjusting his tie.

Lothor nodded, squinting at him. "Oh, my... Yes... I can see that now. You have no soul... Interesting."

"Hmph. It is almost like the pot calling the kettle black, for although you have a soul, you act like you don't." Zen said, staring at them.

"Shall I destroy him!?" Zurgane asked.

Lothor laughed. "Sure, if you want. I don't need him anymore. Go ahead and use the Sword of Light on him."

"Uh... I actually... dropped it, sir." Zurgane said.

"Zurgane! What?! Ugh! You are such a child sometimes." Lothor said, more irritated than angry. "This is definitely going to be put in your permanent record. And don't get me started on your Christmas bonus!"

"I apologize, sir. I will run back and get it immediately." Zurgane said. All the while, Zen watched in "amusement", or whatever a soulless person felt when they watched something as comical as he was witnessing.

"No, no. You'll just mess it up again. Ivicar? I need you to go get me the Sword of Light." Lothor said, taking his weight off Ivicar and standing on his own.

"Yes, sir." Ivicar said. He promptly turned around and ran out of the room.

As Ivicar left, Zen cracked his neck. "Shall we dance?"

"Zocato!" Lothor cried out. Zurgane yelled in pain as the shockwave not only hit Zen, but him as well. "Oh, sorry Zurgane. Um... Since that was an 'on the job' incident, I guess I'll forget you losing the Sword of Light. Christmas bonus reinstated!"

Zen scoffed as he picked himself up. "Everything is a joke to you, isn't it?"

"Well, I may be jovial about what I say and the delivery may be comical, but I mean every word of it." Lothor said, shrugging.

"Well, then... I hope you know I mean every word of what I'm about to say right now: I will take you down and then get the Greatest Treasure in the Universe for myself." Zen said, sneering.

"But, why? You have no soul. What do you care?" Lothor asked.

Zen smirked. "Exactly. Without a soul, the only thing I care about is the law of the jungle. My instincts tell me to be an alpha male, so I will be. Even if that means crushing everyone else, digging a pit for my neighbor, stabbing everyone in the back and using them as the pedestals they were meant to be... I will be the most powerful being in the universe."

Lothor sighed. "And how are you going to do that, huh? I mean, you dress the part, but you're just a scientist."

"Don't underestimate science..." Zen said, pulling out the Gem of Souls. He pointed it at Lothor and began sucking his soul out of him.

"Ahhh!" Lothor cried out in agony. The process was quick. After five seconds, half of Lothor's soul was already transferred to the Gem of Souls. Before he could continue, however, Zurgane stood up.

"Leave my master alone!" Zurgane shouted. Before anyone could react, Zurgane's helmet popped open, revealing a small, ant-like robot inside behind what looked like a control panel. Lasers shot out of the robot's eyes and zapped Zen in the hand, causing the Gem of Souls to fly out and land on the ground. Zen himself flew back and hit his head hard, causing him to go unconscious.

"Ahhh!" Lothor screamed, pointing at Zurgane's face. "What in the world is that!? Zurgane!? That's horrifying!"

Zurgane's face shut again, hiding the bug cyborg. "I am sorry you had to see that, Lothor."

"Well, what is it!?" The weak Lothor demanded.

"There's actually a very simple explanation for that. You see-" Zurgane began. Before he could finish, though, a large explosion could be heard from outside. "There's no time! We must leave!"

Lothor nodded. "Right. Take me to the top of the tower!" Zurgane then ran over to him and allowed Lothor to lean on his shoulder. They headed to the staircase to their right and began walking up.

Meanwhile, outside, Tycon made his way back to Octomus and Dai Shi. He was missing an arm.

"Tycon! What has happened!?" Octomus demanded.

As blood poured from his shoulder socket, Tycon saluted Octomus. "I had to sacrifice my arm to the tyrannosaurus rex. As I did, though, I was able to jam my other arm into its eye socket and destroy it. There will be no... argh! Resistance in your way..."

Dai Shi then caught Tycon as he passed out. "He is very loyal."

Octomus nodded as a pain shot through his body. "Yes... He is... Now let us leave this miserable place!"

Within moments, Dai Shi and Octomus were outside of the Great City. As Dai Shi carried Tycon, Octomus channeled his Magical powers and created a spell circle that appeared beneath them. Within moments, they were teleported back to the Magic Realm's version of the Netherworld, that Octomus had come to call the Underworld.

Back in the Great City, Fenrir and Roman were thrown back by Diabolico and Loki(D). Roman's facebecame an entire mouth as he yelled in rage. Fenrir, in his wolf body, howled as he leapt up and charged at Diabolico.

"Star Blast." Diabolico said calmly, yet with confidence. He watched the blast pour out from him and hit Fenrir. He heard the Werewolf yelp in pain as he was slammed into the wall behind him. Diabolico was pleased with the attack, as he hadn't used it to its full capacity, and yet it still put the Werewolf Alpha in a comatose state.

Bansheera laughed as she blasted Deviot away from her with a Black Energy ball. As Deviot fell to a knee in pain, he watched his left arm begin turning black with necrosis. "What!?"

Bansheera laughed yet again. "Oh, sorry... the Black Energy must have integrated inside of you. It's hard to tell how my Demon powers can affect you Alphas..."

Deviot screamed in pain as the blackness that had started in his forearm began creeping down to his hand. He turned around and sprinted out of the city in pain.

All the while, Mythical Master forced himself to his feet. He began looking around desperately, hoping to find Beelzebub. _I am so close to gaining his trust. After how I handled Lothor, he will surely come back with me to defeat the Power Rangers!_

"You have something that does not belong to you..." Agent D said, appearing in front of Mythical Master.

"Freelancer!" Mythical Master said.

Agent D nodded. "Yes. Yes I am. Now, how did you get one of our wrist techs?"

Mythical Master pointed it at him and sneered. "Take this!" A bolt of Time Energy leapt out from the wrist tech. Mythical Master felt vulnerable without the use of his Magic, but he felt the wrist tech would still be suitable for his goals.

D shook his head, typing something into his own wrist tech. "You can't use my own technology against me..."

Mythical Master watched in horror as a bolt erupted from D's wrist tech. It mixed with his own and went back, hitting Mythical Master dead on his chest. He fell to the floor in pain.

D loomed over him and shook his head. "I don't know how you got here, but you caused a lot of damage... If it were up to me, I'd destroy you right now while you're helpless without your Magic, but apparently you are very important to the Pattern in your universe."

"No. Not yet!" Mythical Master screamed. "I'm so close!"

"Not close enough. You are now banished from this timeline." D said. He typed in the coordinates to Mythical Master's universe and zapped him, sending him back. As Mythical Master disappeared, the wrist tech fell to the ground. D laughed as he picked it up.

Suddenly, Zen limped out of the tower nearby, falling to the ground. The hit to his head had been a lot more deadly than Zurgane could have predicted. Blood was pouring down from Zen's nose.

D stared at Zen and ran a scan on him with his wrist tech. "My, my... no soul? And yet he is still alive? Quite interesting indeed... I think the Traveler would love to meet a specimen like him..."

Opening a time vortex behind Zen, D made his way to the fallen man. He picked him up and walked into the time vortex.

Beelzebub, a couple hundred feet away from where D had been, swung his arms at Serrator. "Rawr!" He screamed. He slammed his body into Serrator's and threw him down.

"Impossible!" Serrator screamed. He pulled out some paper to turn into a monster, but before he could, Beelzebub shot several black fireballs from his mouth, not only hitting Serrator but causing the paper to go up in flames.

"Ahh!" Serrator screamed. As the Black Energy began to infect him just as it had Deviot, he could sense something familiar. He recognized it as the energy he had used to transform Xan into his Nighlok. Looking around, he spotted a red shine in a crack. It was the Gap to the Netherworld Xandred had left behind. Before Beelzebub could launch another attack, Serrator channeled himself into the Gap and found himself being teleported to the Netherworld.

"That's right... run away! You cannot stop my evil reign!" Beelzebub shouted.

"It's not about a reign of evil..." Diabolico muttered to himself. "It's about turning everyone into Demons..."

Bansheera laughed, having overheard Diabolico. "Why Diabolico... I agree with you."

As Loki(D) and the recently returned AM Dragon fought off an attack from Goliath and Roman, Diabolico turned to Bansheera. "What? You do?"

"Why, yes... every since I became a Demon, my mind seems to be clear for the first time." She lied. "I feel free of who I used to be..."

"That is exactly what I hope for the universe!" Diabolico said. "Freedom!"

Bansheera walked closely to Diabolico as Beelzebub battled Fenrir. "Well... I can make that happen. With my new Demon powers coupled with my Magic, I can set the universe up so that we can have the universe be freed. I mean... You and I both know Beelzebub is only in this because of his brother. And don't you remember? Wasn't _I_ the one who trapped Michael?"

Diabolico nodded slowly. "Yes... But we have no Magic here. How can you seal Beelzebub?"

"Use your Star Power. Blast him out of the city. I can trap him when we are out of the building..." Bansheera said with delight.

Diabolico stopped and stared at Beelzebub. "I do this for the sake of the universe. Maybe one day we will release you and you will have come to your senses... Star Blast!"

The power smacked Beelzebub from behind. The energy was so intense Beelzebub found himself barreling through the air. He slammed through a wall, as Bansheera had predicted, and landed in a heap outside the Great City.

Bansheera felt her Nathadian Magic return to her as she stepped out of the enchanted city. She laughed as she used her Magic to transform into her Human form. She then simply pointed a finger at Beelzebub and said, "Nathadian Containment Spell. Bye bye, Bee."

"What!? No!" Beelzebub cried out. Before he could move, the spell wrapped out him, trapping him in a box. Diabolico then walked up to the box and slammed his hand on it.

"Hmm... this will not keep him for long. He is still there because he is weak, but soon he will break out. How did you use that spell? Can you do it to anyone?" Diabolico asked.

Bansheera shook her head. "No. The spell only works if the person I am casting it against is near death, so as to detain them mercifully without destroying them, or if the caster is near death, as a defense mechanism. How will you keep him in there, though?"

"I will place him far away on a distant planet. I will also place a Demon Trap to contain him. Then there will be no escape for him." Diabolico answered.

"Demon Trap?" Bansheera asked.

"Here is one." Diabolico said. He placed a hand to the ground and caused a circular Demon Trap to appear. "If a Demon steps into one then they are trapped within its boundaries."

"Interesting..." Bansheera said. "Now go and take him away. I'll get the other Demon to help you..."

Loki(D) appeared at that moment, as if on cue. "What is happening?"

"Beelzebub betrayed us, Loki. We are imprisoning him." Diabolico stated simply.

"Okay. I'll help." Loki(D) replied.

 _That was easy..._ Bansheera thought. "Wait, if you're in here then who is fighting those Monsters?"

"AM Dragon. You know, the new guy. Well, before you were the new guy, Bansheera." Loki(D) replied.

"Where has he been!?" Bansheera demanded, already feeling as if she was in control.

"While you were arguing with the Human Killian on the moon, Michael and Castiel hit him hard. AM Dragon had been the bait to get Michael on the moon in the first place. We thought he had been destroyed. He appeared after the Alphas attacked, stating he had been trying to find us around the planet." Diabolico explained.

"Perfect. I will help AM Dragon while you two deal with the 'traitor'." Bansheera stated.

As Diabolico and Loki(D) flew off with the box, Bansheera turned and smiled as she looked upon the Great City. _Here I come, Lothor. I hope you're ready to fight me now that I'm a Demon! Hehehe... Soon the Greatest Treasure will be all mine!_


	42. Part 3 - Chapter 21: Year of the Dragon

**Chapter Twenty-One: Year of the Dragon**

Zordon sighed as he looked around. "Just the two of us once again."

"It would seem that is, indeed, the case..." Saba said. "I wonder how everyone is doing... Do you think they're okay.

"Probably not." Zordon said sadly. "With me gone, Gosei will probably be running things. He has a good heart and all, but... He's just not very tech savvy."

"Or organized." Saba added.

"We need to get out of here immediately. They need us!" Zordon declared.

"The Guardian will help us when he can." Saba said. "We just need to... wait, I guess."

"You're right..." Zordon said. He plopped down onto the ground. "Now what?"

"Well, let's talk about what the Guardian just showed us. I mean, you don't seem that phased by the revelation that we are both from _all other universe_." Saba said.

Zordon shrugged. "It's an interesting fact and explains some things like how I was able to meet you, and how I got the Meledon Ranger powers, but... I'm still me. My parents were still the loving people who raised me. That Laguna and Raine? They seemed like nice people who loved me, but I don't know them. I am grateful for their love, sure, but... it doesn't change anything, really. It will look cool in my autobiography, though."

"Your autobi-!? Oh, ha. Ha." Saba said, laughing.

"Mentioning Meledon Ranger, though... Ancient source: Meledon force!" Zordon said, jumping to his feet. He suddenly became Meledon Ranger.

"Well, I guess you still have your Ranger powers." Saba said.

Meledon Ranger nodded. "Yes. Let's see if I can tap into my Meledon powers to find a way out of here..."

. . .

Jinxer had thrown out to the Gaia Rangers several Demon Cards. Ten, in total. Diabolico, Loki(D), and Vypra joined in on the battle, bringing it to more than two to one for the monster to ranger ratio.

Spellbinder, Vypra, and Infinitor took on Gaia Red. The combination of Magic spells with Infinitor's awesome shield was giving Gaia Red more than he could handle. What made things worse was needing to defend himself against Vypra, as well. More often than not, he found himself on the ground, rolling away from more attacks.

Gaia Pink had her hands full while dealing with Loki(D) and Fire Wasp. She did all she could to juggle both Loki(D)'s bazooka attacks with the mighty Wasp's Black Energy infused fire, but she found herself quickly losing ground.

The Demons Birdbane and and Arachnor faced off against Gaia Green. Having become a more formidable fighter during his time with Miha during the two thousand years they attempted to free their Demonified friends, he was actually keeping his own against the two. He was also using his brain to strategize a way to get around the attacks and try to launch a White Energy infused attack not on them, but Bansheera herself.

Gaia Blue danced with Vilevine and Ghoular. Although he missed having a sword, his weapon of choice, he made due with his Bowgun. He nimbly leapt about, damaging Demonic blasts and landing a few hits of his own.

Diabolico and Gold Beak went on to battle Gaia Yellow. At first she did well, slashing them with her advanced fighting abilities. After Diabolico unleashed his Star Power, however, Gaia Yellow found herself doing all she could to dodge both him and the flying bird Demon.

The last of the Gaia Rangers, Black, fought Whirlin and Freezard. The two Demons teamed up to attack the agile and energetic ranger. They would shoot tornadoes riddled with sharp icicles at Gaia Black. While he would swing his Snake Axe to chop away at the daggers of ice, he would try to dodge Freezard's lasers, which, unbeknownst to him, would suck him into a pocket dimension where he would be trapped.

Bansheera smiled as she reverted to her Human form. "Excellent work, Jinxer."

Jinxer bowed before her. "Of course, my queen! Anything for you!"

As the rangers were losing badly, Bansheera laughed. _I am so glad I have your powers, Jinxer! And to think you were once one of the greatest Magicians of all time! But now you work for me, Rumple. Ah-hahaha!_

. . .

"Guin!" Master Lope shouted as he ran into the room. Behind him were Finn, Gosei, Mao and a recently semi-charged Robo Knight.

"What is happening!?" Gosei demanded.

"I'll tell you! I have taken Guin for myself and I will use her powers to destroy each and every one of you! Then, The Master and I will unleash the powers of Ninjakon on you all and we will gain the powers of the Greatest Treasure in the Universe! I am Dai Shi and I will conquer you all!" Dai Shi/Guin shouted. She then shot them all with the power of her Penguin Spirit.

Gosei spat as he fell to the ground. "Dai Shi is a Demon now!?"

Swoop nodded. "It seems that way. We don't know how it happened, though."

"Let's destroy him!" Beats Green yelled to Beast Red.

"We can't attack her!" Mao screamed. "You'll destroy her, too!"

"You'll never gain access to the Greatest Treasure without the Greater Powers of the Power Rangers!" Gosei declared. "Hi-yah!"

A chunk of Earth erupted from beneath the metal floor and flew toward Guin. Dai Shi laughed as she unleashed her Penguin Spirit, destroying the attack before it reached her body.

"What do you want us to do!?" Beast Red asked Mao. He didn't want to injure Guin without at least someone's permission.

"Stand back." Rilla said before Mao could answer. "Take on my Animal Spirit, then, Dai Shi!"

Dai Shi watched as the Gorilla Spirit began charging toward her. "I'm no fool! The Penguin cannot defeat the Gorilla! You leave me no choice, then..."

The group watched in horror as Dai Shi lifted up a hand and snapped it. Suddenly, Guin's head spun wildly to the side, a sickening cracking sound accompanying it. She fell to the ground, lifeless. As this occurred, Rilla looked down in shame, slinking into the back of the group. He bent over and picked up a sharp piece of rubble.

"Noooo!" Lope screamed, rushing forward. As he did, Dai Shi erupted from Guin's nostrils as a Demon Cloud. He momentarily formed into a mighty Dragon.

"It is the year of the Dragon! Hahaha!" Dai Shi declared as he flew into Master Lope.

Lope then turned around and laughed. "I have always wanted to know how agile the Antelope Spirit was! Hahaha!"

"Everyone stand back! He cannot possess a machine!" Robo Knight declared. He walked forward and pulled out his blaster. "I am a guardian of the Earth. Surrender now or be destroyed!"

Dai Shi shook his head. "Unless you want to lose Lope as well, you'll stand down, robot."

Beast Red then shot forward faster than the eye could see. Within a blink, he had tackled Lope to the ground effortlessly.

Dai Shi laughed. "Wrong answer!"

Beast Red cried out in frustration as he heard Lope's neck snap. He then flew up and to the left to avoid Dai Shi's Demon Cloud.

Rilla then frowned as he stepped forward. "You can't take me on, Dai Shi!"

"Master Rilla! No!" Phant screamed in desperation.

Before anyone could move, Dai Shi flew into Rilla's mouth. He then looked up and laughed, eyes black. Before he could speak, though, he frowned. Suddenly, Rilla seemed to be back in control.

"Hurry!" Rilla shouted. Beast Green and Robo Knight ran to him.

"What is it!?" Beast Green demanded as the others approached.

Rilla grabbed his left hand using his right. Blood could be seen dripping from the hand as It seemed to want to attack Rilla. "Dai Shi is in my hand! Cut it off!"

"What!?" Mao cried out in surprise.

Before he could explain, the hand glowed in a black light, shooting a blast of Black Energy from Rilla's hand to the rest of his body. He cried out in pain and fell to the floor. His skin began turning black as the Black Energy began to course through Rilla's circulatory system.

Gosei then ran forward. He pulled Robo Knight's blade from his hand and dived at Rilla. He then swung and chopped off the hand.

Before the hand could get away, Beast Red swooped down and grabbed it. He looked at the squirming thing and noticed a symbol with a pentagram carved into the hand's flesh.

Gosei screamed. "Mao! That chest over there! Place a Demon Trap in it and fast!"

Mao nodded and did what he was told. Gosei then directed Beast Red to dump the hand into the chest. As he did, Finn closed the box.

"Rilla carved a Demon Trap into his hand. I guess when Dai Shi entered him, he had the shard on his hand and his last movement completed the trap. When Dai Shi began circulating through Rilla's body, he got trapped in his hand." Gosei surmised.

"Everyone...?" Swoop said sadly. "It's Master Rilla..."

"No..." Mao said, looking to the bodies of Rilla, Lope, and Guin.

Phant looked at them. "They sacrificed themselves to stop Dai Shi, just as Flit did. Just as countless others have."

"Their sacrifices have brought us here to the end. We have won because of them." Finn said.

Mao grimaced. "Not yet. There are still those you told me about, Finn. The Overlords and those new sixteen animal warriors who accompanied them."

"Did one of them wear armor and have an 'X' on his mouth guard?" Beast Green asked.

"Yes. You know them?" Swoop asked.

Beast Red nodded. "They are criminals from our part of the universe that escaped a jail of ours called the Phantom Zone."

"Then will you join us in defeating them?" Mao asked.

The Red Ranger nodded. "Yes. Let me get the rest of my team and we will get ready."

Mao then looked at the three Cubs, Gosei, and Robo Knight. "While they do that, follow me. It is time to unleash a powerful weapon."

"What weapon is this?" Gosei asked as they followed him out into the hall while Beast Red and Green ran to the medical bay.

"The Crystal Eyes."

. . .

"Yoral!? Wait... What!? How did you get here!? What's happening?" Trinity demanded, getting into a fighting stance.

"I don't know..." Yoral said. "That psycho Michael kidnapped me and now I'm here!"

"Well... find your own way out! I want nothing to do with this!" Trinity yelled.

Yoral laughed. "C'mon, Babe. Don't you remember all the good times we had?"

"You make me sick! You tried to destroy everyone! You're crazy!" Trinity said, anger on her face."

Yoral then shrugged. Suddenly his gunblade was in his hands. "Stinks to be you, I guess."

Yoral ran forward, swinging his gunblade. As he did, he pulled the trigger. Trinity jumped into the air, literally dodging the bullet as she sailed over Yoral. As she did, she extended her right foot back and kicked him in the back of the head. While she pushed off his head, she flipped and landed in a fighting stance.

Yoral fell to his face hard. His gunblade flew out of his hand and clattered as it did. It flew out of his reach. Rolling onto his back, he kicked up and onto his feet. "You're gonna pay for that! Ancient source: Amaradon force!"

Trinity watched in fear as Amaradon Ranger appeared before her. At that moment, she felt something appear in her hand. She heard Ninjor's voice as she looked down to see her amulet in hand.

"You must use the power of ninja! I believe in you, Master Trinity!" Ninjor could be heard saying as his voice echoed away.

"Ninja Storm! Ranger form! Ha! Power of Light!"

"This should be good!" Amaradon said, laughing. "Zocato power!"

"Ninja Streak!" Ninja Pink yelled out. She jumped forward and over the Zocato blast, before pummeling into Amaradon several times. As she did, she unsheathed her blade from her back holster and struck him several times.

Amardon reached up and hit Ninja Pink, sending her flying. He then sent another Zocato blast toward her, this time connecting.

"Photon Blast!" Ninja Pink cried, leaping to her feet.

"Ahh!" Amaradon screamed as the light blast hit him hard. He fell to his knees, clutching his chest as Ninja Pink landed nimbly a few feet away.

Turning around, Ninja Pink said, "I hate you. You are the worst part of my life. I feel sick when I think of you!"

Amaradon laughed. "That hurts, Babe. I guess I'll see you around, though."

Before she could attack him again, he teleported away. She powered down when she felt safe and began walking away, wishing to conserve her energy.

After ten minutes of walking in silence, she stopped and threw her hands up into the air. "Now what!? Where am I!?"

"Tsk, tsk. You need to watch your temper." A feminine voice said from behind her. Trinity spun around to see who it was.

"What!? That's impossible!" Trinity gasped as her eyes fell upon the figure standing in front of her.

"What is it, Sis? You look like you've seen a ghost." Tria said, chuckling as she held her Power Staff.


	43. Pt0-Chp22:Future Vision for Preservation

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Future Vision for Preservation**

Octomus screamed in pain as he, Dai Shi, and Tycon appeared in the Underworld of the Magic Realm. Dai Shi watched in horror as he began to bulge into a mass of flesh. Negative Lifestream flowed around Octomus, from the infection he received from Master Xandred. Without a second to think, Dai Shi was staring at an impossibly large octopus.

"Octomus! Are you okay!?" The Dragon beast Dai Shi asked.

"Master!?" Tycon cried out in anguish. Although he had lost his arm in the previous battle, he was more focused on the being he knew as The Master.

"I am... fine." Octomus bellowed in surprise. "In fact, I believe my powers are stronger than ever! There is something new amplifying my Magic."

"This is good. We will attack then!" Tycon yelled.

"No. We won't." Octomus answered simply.

"Why not!?" Dai Shi demanded.

"I've been watching the... _stuff_ that has been occurring and I have come to a realization." Octomus bellowed. "Everything something happens, some other fiendish being seems to come out of the woodwork."

"Please... Explain." Dai Shi said, intrigued.

"When we first got here, Vexacus attacked. He has attacked a few times and as far as I know, he is still out there. Who knows when his next attack is.

"We had the Demons appear, taking the Crystal of Doom. We had that group of random people who seem to have a problem with Lothor. Members of the Morphing Masters breaking off into different splinter cells, like us, with their own intents. Mesogog attacked. Who knows how many others!?" Octomus declared.

"What is your point? That we should give up because we can't plan for everything?" Dai Shi asked.

Octomus laughed. "Quite the opposite. You and I have both been granted new forms and new powers. We have Tycon with us, who is a mighty and loyal fighter. We have my Ten Terrors hibernating beneath us. I say we go into hibernation, so to speak. We plan for the future. Try to get a layout of the powers that be throughout the universe, and plan accordingly."

"That is an excellent plan, Master!" Tycon said.

"While I rest a bit and get used to my new powers, see if you can find someone who can replace Tycon's arm. And Tycon?" Octomus said.

"Yes, Master?"

"Take this, as a token of your loyalty." Octomus declared. He opened his massive mouth and out of it floated one of his teeth. Black Energy and Dark Magic encircled it until it transformed into a mighty looking sword.

"What is this!?" Tycon asked in awe.

"It is your new powerful weapon. A sword imbued with _my_ power. It is 'The Fang of the Master'. It will serve you well." Octomus said.

"Thank you, Master." Tycon said, turning and walking out of the room.

Dai Shi turned to Octomus. "After I secure an arm for Tycon, then what do I do?"

"Return here, so we can plan. Until then, I will try and rest. My body aches..." Octomus said.

Dai Shi nodded and left after Tycon. Octomus then closed his eyes and slept.

. . .

Gruumm stared at Lije as she sat at the captain's chair while he drove the Ragnarok. He slammed his fist into his keyboard, oxytocin levels rising as his obsession over Lije grew stronger. They only accentuated, though, his feelings toward those around him.

 _Lije is the Magnificence, while everyone else is mere dung at the bottom of my feet! My brothers of the Dinomen threw me to the side whenever they felt like it. They never cared for me. I was their personal slave. With Lije, though... I am powerful enough to be the man I always knew I could be!_

Suddenly, Lije began convulsing in pain. Gruumm gasped in horror and began to descend to the closest planet to his location: Saturn. As he descended, he let out a scream in frustration. He could not see any land on which to set down. The whole planet seemed to be made up of nothing solid.

"I'm sorry, Master!" Gruumm screamed. He tried pulling up, but he seemed to be caught in Saturn's intense gravity.

"Agh..." Lije managed to cough. She balled herself up in pain and fell off the chair. Having had the Demon within her, notwithstanding having her Star Power ripped from her, caused her such intense pain due to the abominations done to her physiology that the young girl was certain she was the brink of destruction.

Gruumm ran to her. "Lije! What can I do!?"

Before she could reply, a booming voice echoed throughout the hull. "I am the Omnipotent! Who dares come here!?"

Gruumm looked to the front of the ship and gasped. Through the windshield of the ship, he saw what looked to be a massive brain floating through the "surface" of Saturn. "Who are you!?"

"I have already answered that! Have you come here with news from Lilith?" The Omnipotent asked.

"I don't know who that is!" Gruumm cried out in emotional pain. "I just want my master saved!"

"You are meaningless, then. I only wish to have my ward return to me, so that I can rule the universe!" The Omnipotent declared.

Suddenly, Lilith looked up. "I... Help..."

The Omnipotent laughed. "I shall do no such thing! Count yourself lucky that you will not be involved in the pain and misery I will inflict upon the universe."

At that moment, Lije laughed herself. "I have a little... surprise for you... then..."

When she had been refused help by the Omnipotent, she had instinctively tried to blast him with Star Power, having forgotten that she lost it to Diabolico. What she found in its place was something "special" left behind inadvertently by Diabolico. A sort of unintentional trade for her Star Power.

Gruumm gasped as Lije turned into a cloud of smoke in his arms. More appropriately, she became a Demon Cloud. Before the Omnipotent could react, he saw Lije flow out of the ship and surround him. After a moment, he found himself possessed by Lije of the Dawn.

"Such power!" Lije cried out. He then looked into the ship, at his faithful servant Gruumm. "Gruumm! It is I! Lije!"

Gruumm instantly bowed before the Omnipotent Lije. "Master! Your power amazes me!"

"Good..." Lije said, laughing. "This host seems to possess psychic powers that are more powerful than that of my old body... With my special Dawn powers I will be ultimate!"

Gruumm then felt the Omnipotent Lije lift him and the ship out of the pull of Saturn and back up into space. Then, he saw Omnipotent Lije teleport away.

I am down below. In the hangar. Gruumm heard Lije say in his mind. Gruumm made his way to the Hangar to see the massive cerebral mass pulsing before him. Omnipotent waved a tendril and transferred itself into a large observation tank.

"Gruumm... I require time to learn how to use this new power and to create a plan of attack. The more I... saturate myself in this power, the stronger I will become! Take us somewhere far from here. Now."

"Yes, Master Lije. I will do as you please! I will ensure your demands are met!" Gruumm said.

"And with my new form, I will take on a new name. I am no longer Lije of the Dawn, and I am not the Omnipotent. I am both. From here on out, call me Omni."

. . .

Bansheera made her way into the Great City to see AM Dragon using his amazing skills to fend off Fenrir, Roman, and Goliath.

"You fiend." Goliath said, throwing his massive arms and hitting AM Dragon in the chest. "You shall not defeat me. I will stop your reign of terror!"

As AM Dragon landed, he saw Roman lunge at him, his mouth open for the meal he hoped the Demon would become. AM Dragon became a Demon Cloud and escaped. He then rushed toward Fenrir to possess him.

Before it could happen, though, Fenrir laughed as a shield appeared around him.

"What!?" AM Dragon demanded, materializing before the Werewolf.

"You fool!" Fenrir shouted. "The Mother of Monsters, Lilith, ensured that none of us Alphas could be possessed by a Demon! Haha! We are protected by her Magic!"

Bansheera laughed, seeing the battle continue. She then slipped into one of the secret passages she used to use with Killian, aiming for where the Greatest Treasure in the Universe was kept.

Meanwhile, from atop a tower looking down, Lothor laughed. He was still leaning on Zurgane.

"Master Lothor... What are we to do?" Zurgane demanded.

Lothor coughed. "Hehe... Zen Aku got me good back there. Or Zen. Whatever he wants to be called now. He almost ripped my spirit and lifeforce out of my body! I'm... I'm not doing well, Zurgane. I... I think that my mission here in this universe has failed."

"Failed? We cannot give up!" Zurgane said, saluting Lothor by crossing an arm across his chest. He stood, every ready and ever loyal.

"Do not worry, Zurgane. Just because we have failed in _this_ universe... doesn't mean there are not others! I will take you and Ivicar with me to a new universe, where we can start anew!" Lothor said.

"But how, sir?" Zurgane asked in wonder.

"I... will need to tap into my powers... the powers of the universe!" Lothor said. He focused as hard as he could and caused the Cannon of Ki, which he could see below him on the battle scarred ground of the Great City, to come up to him.

"What are you doing, sir!?" Zurgane asked in shock.

"I... I haven't revealed this yet, but where I was before this? For a time I became a powerful being called the Demi-God of Magic. Well... hehehe... I still have some of that power in me. I may have failed setting my plan up here, and I may be on the brink of destruction now, but soon I will be a God!" Lothor declared.

Zurgane watched in amazement as Lothor shot the Cannon of Ki into the sky. The fighters in the Great City stopped to stare in wonder. All around on the continent of Pangaea, people could see the beam open a gateway to the Universal Magic Grid.

"What is that!?" Geki shouted, looking into the sky. He and the Dino Guardians had just met up with Auron, Rumple, and the others. Geki's Triassic powers had messed with the teleportation device Auron had used to get the crew out of the Great City.

Rumple frowned. "This is not good. I can feel it..."

Emma looked around, confused. "I... I can feel it, too. What is this, Rumple!?"

Rumple frowned. "It is Lothor. He is becoming the Demi-God of Magic again."

"No! We have to stop him now!" Mary said. "We swore we would not only avenge our own universe, but protect all others!"

Will sighed. "She's right. We have to destroy him here and now."

"Alright. Planning done." Tidus said, laughing. "So, let's go save the universe."

Belle turned to Rumple. "Please... We have to be careful. I can't lose you."

"You won't, Dearie... I promise." Rumple said, caressing his wife's cheek.

"Power of the Samurai! Envelop us!" App cried out. He was in a white translucent armor as Jor was in his blue armor, and Jakon in his red armor.

"For Trueheart." Jor said, clenching a fist.

"Let us go on, then." Jakon declared, marching forward.

"I'm ready to crack some skulls." Goushi said, swinging his axe.

"I only hope this isn't our last battle..." Mei said, joining the march to the Great City.

Killian turned to Emma and Baelfire. "I am sorry about Henry. I... he was a friend to me. I know I did some bad things, but I hope to do what I can to fix it."

"Well, let's see how you do in this fight." Emma said, rushing past him in anger.

Baelfire smiled. "I understand. I'm just happy to know someone was with him when it all ended. Thank you. Heh, who knows? Maybe in another life we would have all been friends, huh?"

Killian laughed. "Only in a fairy tale, mate."

Yuna turned to Rikku. "This is it, Rikku. Vengeance."

Rikku nodded, determination etched on her face. "For Al Bhed, we strike."

As they began to walk ahead, Rikku stopped Yuna. "Yunie? I know you've had this gift to summon multiple Animal Spirits since we can both remember, but... you were pretty sapped during that last fight. Are you sure you're up for this?"

Yuna summoned her staff in her hands and gripped it tightly. "More sure than anything I have ever been sure of in my life. I heard stories growing up about how my father... my _real_ father Braska, gave his all to protect the universe. I will honor him, and all of our people."

"I am with you every step of the way." Rikku said, hugging Yuna tight.

As they turned and marched on, Auron looked to Tidus. "You know, kid... I have come to think of you as a good friend. Long ago, I had two others who I considered good friends, but... when it came down to telling them how I felt about our last mission together, I let them down. I had a bad feeling about the battle but I didn't say anything. Tidus... I don't want to make the same mistake with you. If you want to pull back, then you can. I'm sure Rumple can find a way for us to follow Lothor to the next universe. We can stop him easily as he starts his campaign because he will be depowered, and there are more of us than the Nathadians had."

Tidus shook his head. "I can't let the weight of a universe fall on my shoulders. I will move on."

Auron stared in shock as Tidus said that. He kept on watching as Tidus walked forward to go join the others, shouting, "Sentinel Knight power!" becoming Sentinel Knight.

A memory from when he was still mortal echoed in his mind. It was of a friend of his, Jecht. Auron could see him just as vividly as the day the incident had occurred. Jecht had said word for word the same thing Tidus had just said before _their_ final mission together, when the leader of their trio, Braska, had expressed doubts. Those words were enough to convince Braska to move on. Auron had always wondered if he had agreed with Braska at that time about the dangers of the mission, that perhaps they wouldn't have been destroyed by Lilith and Caius. He could see Lilith and Caius in his memory as well, and the hate he had for them re-emerged. He gripped his sword tight and began walking with the rest of the group.

All the while, Sentinel Knight, now at the head of the group with App and Rumple, thought deeply: _I was an orphan for as long as I can remember. Then, the Morphing Masters came into my life. Those who were good became a new family to me. I will not let that family down. And although I never knew my father and mother, the street kids I was raised with told me he was a mighty warrior. Today, I will honor both my biological family a my new family. For the Morphing Masters, and for my dad I never knew... Jecht._

As that occurred, Mesogog stared out from his office. "Something horrible must be happening at the Great City, Dracul."

"Do you want me to investigate?" Dracul asked.

Mesogog shook his head. "No... This is not our battle. I'm sick and tired of Lothor. We have put our plans on the back burner for long enough."

Dracul smiled as he stood up from his chair. It creaked as it was relieved of his massive weight. "Do you mean...?"

"Yes, Dracul. I want to start again on our hunt for the Dino Gems."

. . .

Serrator watched from afar as Master Xandred and Octoroo sat on the edge of the shore of the Sanzu River. He clutched his ribcage in pain.

"I... I must rest and recharge. I want to order Xandred around, but... I don't have the power to do anything to him. Not yet..." Serrator said. "He seems like a fool I could easily manipulate, though... I have heard him express desires to create a Nighlok army. Perhaps I will let him do that. Let him build up a kingdom. Then, I can rise up as the Nighlok King that I am. Hmm... But, I need to have a plan in place..."

As he thought, he overheard Octoroo say, "Ooh-ah-ooh! Master Xandred! What are we to now do?"

"I been want to rip Lothor apart, but I am too weak right now..." Xandred said. "And I need to bathe in this river more, to restore my power!"

Serrator laughed to himself. "You? Rip Lothor apart? I would love to see you tr- wait... rip in half? That's it! The plan Mother Lilith had that I overheard... She and Caius were trying to create hybrid Monster/Human to rip the universe apart, to create an Amalgam Universe between the Shadow World and this universe... I can do the same, but on _this_ planet. Perhaps after that I can build up bigger and bigger until I can focus on the universe. I must plan, then..."

Serrator laughed as he slinked away, to find a place where he could rest and plan. Serrator's hibernation was to begin.

. . .

Lothor began laughing. He could feel the same powers that had powered him before he had crushed the Nathadianverse. On occasions he still had visions of the future, but none as extreme as when he had first become the Demi-God of Magic. He could feel those visions coming to him again.

The first thing he saw was Ivicar in a few moments finding the Sword of Light and giving it to him. He saw Ivicar become a monstrous being named Ivan Ooze. He saw a massive red armored fighter named Ninjakon, leading dark warriors into battle, such as the Demon Samurai and Gokai Slayer. He saw that, shortly before the rise of Ninjakon, that he would be at the apex of his newly established empire, though he knew not why he looked different. As he thought on that, his mind fell onto an image of the Gem of Souls Zen had used on him moments before.

Zurgane looked on as the little bit of the Magic Grid that Lothor could absorb went into him, mixing with the residue of the power given to Lothor from the Nathadianverse's version of the Power Eggs. Before long, Lothor had transformed into a mighty being.

"Lothor!? Is that you!?" Zurgane asked, mesmerized.

The mighty being turned to look at Zurgane. He was now hovering over the tower, and the entirety of the Great City. "Yes, it is I, Zurgane! I am now the Demi-God of Magic! And I have seen the future! You and I will be at the head of a mighty empire! But first... You must go down to the bottom of this tower. Find the green gem Zen used on me and guard with your life, no matter what!"

"Yes, sir!" Zurgane said, saluting. He then turned and ran down the stairs, hoping to find the Gem of Souls.

Lothor looked down. "Move out of my way, so I can grab the Power Eggs and the Greatest Treasure."

AM Dragon scoffed. "Not on your life!"

"I guess on _your_ life then!" Demi-God Lothor declared, laughing. He began to charge a mighty attack.

Outside the Great City, the group of heroes arrived, seeing the massive man flying above them. One by one, they each took in the sight. Fear crept into their minds.

Rumple frowned. "It has begun..."

Jor stepped forward. "Evil makes me... _angry_. Let's stomp him."

Sentinel Knight nodded. "Let us all work together. The final battle against Lothor starts now!"


	44. Part 3-Chapter 22: The Search for Zordon

**Chapter Twenty-Two: The Search for Zordon**

Mao showed those who followed him the Crystal Eyes.

"What are they?" Gosei asked. "I have never heard of them."

Mao shook his head. "I know not. An earlier iteration of the Order of the Claw came across them. Lope, may his soul rest in peace, discovered their function one hundred years ago. They can capture the essence of a person, trapping them inside. We felt they were too inhumane and we kept them in here, to ensure no one would use them. After what just happened today, though... The Order of the Claw is dwindling in numbers and I cannot risk more casualties. The Phantom Beasts and the Overlords worked together to bring down Dai Shi, something we were never able to do."

Robo Knight looked on as Master Mao revealed the Crystal Eyes. "Wait... Why did you not use these to seal Dai Shi when this all started? It is illogical."

Mao smiled sadly. "We discovered centuries ago that we had the Crystal Eyes, but when we found out their ability, Zordon asked us to not use them because since he was directing us, it would affect his Meledon powers. Apparently the Order of Meledon is very strict."

Swoop nodded. "I always thought it too strict, but with how powerful Zordon is, I guess there's a give and take."

"These Phantoms are the strongest beasts we have ever seen." Mao said. "We are justified in using the Crystal Eyes. Plus, Zordon is gone."

"For now..." Gosei said. "Robo Knight? Go with them. I'm going back to the base to see if I can find Saba and Zordon."

Robo Knight nodded as Gosei opened a portal and walked through. "Now, how will we find the Overlords and the Phantoms, as the Beast Watch called them?"

Phant scoffed. "Grizzaka is connected to the planet. All we need to do is call for him and-"

"I will be there." Grizzaka said, appearing with the Phantom Beasts, Carnisoar, and Jellica.

"How!?" Finn demanded.

Mao clenched a fist. "When the Bio Mech Rangers attacked, they destroyed our shields."

Grizzaka laughed. "Yes, and I've been waiting for an appropriate time to make a grand entrance after I discovered your shields were down! And thank you for the explanation of the Crystal Eyes. We will use them against you with ease now!"

Scorch stepped forward. "Generals!? Rinzin!"

Robo Knight stepped forward. "Stand behind me! I will take the damage so you all can fight on!"

As the Rinzin power sailed toward the group, suddenly five multicolored warriors appeared and absorbed the blast.

"Power Rangers: Beast Watch!" They cried out.

"Oh, no! It's those indestructible fighters I warned you about!" Badrat said.

Scorch grunted. "Now what do we do!?"

"You fall. Attack!" Beast Red screamed.

As they raced forward, however, they seemed to have some sort of binding appear around them.

"What is this!?" Beast Black demanded.

"It's Magic!" Yelled Beast Yellow.

"That is right!" Morticon said, appearing with Necrolai and Camille as the Chameleon Warrior. "The Master has sent us here to get Dai Shi back. And he knows that you lot have a weakness to Magic!"

"But we don't!" Swoop cried out. "Unleash your Animal Spirits!"

"Knight Dynamic!" Robo Knight shouted.

"Rinzin!" Whiger ordered.

"Zocato!" Screamed Grizzaka.

"Power of the Master!" Morticon added. A blast erupted from him.

"Chameleon Spirit!" Chameleon Warrior proclaimed.

As the many waves of destruction crashed into each other, sparks and explosions erupted. Each faction was pouring all they had into their powers to get the upper hand.

Right then, Morticon was blasted onto his back by two red lasers. Simultaneously, the entirety of the Phantom Beasts, both Warriors and Generals, fell to their backs.

"What!?" Necrolai screamed.

Everyone stopped and looked up into the sky.

"What is it!?" Mao asked.

"They're birds!" Carnisoar yelled.

"They sound like planes..." Swoop said, listening.

"No..." Beast Red said, standing as he was freed from the Magic. "They're Supermen!"

"And a woman." Lar-Van added, laughing as she floated up with the other Kryptonians.

Cai-Zar nodded. "You know... Just coming by to save the day. That's how we roll."

"But how!?" Cass-Mer asked, looking up.

Cris-Re looked down. "Thanks to _you_ , actually. I found your notes and saw what you said about the 'photonucleic effect'. I took our ship to the sun and lo and behold, we were all healed by direct exposure to the yellow sun!"

Andon-Do nodded. "And now we are here to put an end to this Beast War."

Cai-Zar laughed. "I came up with the name."

"But what about your morphers!?" Beast Green asked.

Tow-Lar smiled. "It seems as if, at least in this Solar System, we don't need it. We're just as powerful with or without it."

Beast Yellow looked down at her suit, then shrugged. "I'll keep mine on, then. I think they look cool."

Morticon lifted himself up at this, clutching his chest where Cris-Re's eye lasers had hit him. "There are too many of them! Retreat!"

Chameleon Warrior nodded. "I am sorry, Dai Shi! I will have you by my side once again! I promise!" She then teleported away as Morticon did likewise. Necrolai turned and flew away.

Carnisoar clenched his fist. "Spirit of the Hawk!" He then flew up in a rage against Cris-Re.

"I got this." He said, smiling. "Spirit of the Falcon!"

He swung a mighty fist and connected with Carnisoar. The Overlord instantly fell to the side of a large stone structure and exploded.

"You will pay!" Jellica shouted. She began shooting beams of her Animal Spirit at those in the sky.

Lar-Van laughed. "Since I'm a water Animal Spirit, I'll handle this!"

Surrounded by her Animal Spirit, Lar-Van flew down and smashed into Jellica. She then lifted her up and tossed her hard into the distance.

As she did, Mao concentrated and zapped her with a protective force field, in case she survived the attack. Using her supervision, Lar-Van watched Jellica fall into the ocean and land in its depths.

"Nooo!" Grizzaka screamed. "Zocato!"

The Beast Watch Rangers stood in front of those on the ground, taking the hit. Those in the air stood, unaffected.

"Tickles." Cai-Zar said, laughing.

"Let me handle this." Tow-Lar said.

"Good luck, new guy." Lar-Van said, winking.

He swooped down and picked Grizzaka up. He then flung him as hard as he could. He watched as Grizzaka slammed into a cave miles away. A mighty explosions erupted, indicating his destruction.

Mao, Swoop, Phant, and Finn made their way to the fallen Phantom Beasts as this occurred. As they were unconscious, they pointed the Crystal Eyes on them.

"But there are only eight..." Robo Knight observed from afar.

Mao nodded. "We'll do what we can."

To their surprise, the Crystal Eyes seemed to pinpoint to only the Generals, though they knew not their ranks. For once Scorch was placed into a Crystal, the other eight Warriors suddenly vanished.

"Well, that's... convenient." Swoop said.

Cris-Re landed and nodded. "Scorch, the leader, is linked to his Beast Warriors. Once he is gone, they cannot be."

"Thank you for stopping this... the Beast War." Mao said, bowing in respect.

"We are the Beast Watch." Jak-Am said as he and his team demorphed. "It's what we do. Save Animals."

"We must go now. There are other planets in ecological distress and we must protect them. But we leave a gift with you." Cris-Re said. "Rangers? Please give them the Animal Crystals."

"What!? They're our powers!" Mar-Ran objected.

Andon-Do smiled. "Don't worry. Based on Cass-Mer's research, we have an idea for new ranger powers. Besides, Earth has a heavy populace of Animals and they'll need this help."

"New powers? Sounds cool." Mar-Ran said. He laughed and handed his crystal to Mao. One by one, they all did the same.

"Maybe we'll meet again someday." Cris-Re said, smiling to Mao and the other Earthlings. They then turned and flew up into space, to their ship, ready to return and report on Krypton.

"Now what?" Finn asked.

Mao sighed. "We need to hide the Crystal Eyes. Also... we need to gather the Animal Warriors. It is time to tell them we can finally live in peace. The Beast War is over."

. . .

The Gaia Rangers fell to their knees. They were in immense pain.

"I guess we weren't showy enough..." Gaia Green said sadly.

Bansheera laughed. "Good job, Jinxer."

"Thank you, my queen!"

"Now... finish them!" Bansheera demanded.

The Demons all brought their Black Energy together. Diabolico laughed as he charged his Star Power to join. Loki(D) had his bazooka on his shoulder.

"Destroy them." Bansheera said, smiling.

The blast erupted from the group. It sailed forward, enough to crush the six rangers.

"It's been fun." Gaia Red said, frowning. He and the rest of the team closed their eyes as the blast went to envelop them. Gaia Red opened one eye when nothing happened.

"Huh?" Gaia Blue said, seeing also that they were still alive.

The six pushed themselves off their knees and looked up. A man in a white hood and massive white sword stood before them. He had landed before the Demon attack and had struck it down with his sword when the Power Rangers weren't looking.

"What!? Impossible! I sealed you away one hundred and sixty five million years ago!" Bansheera screamed.

"Hmm..." Michael, the Ethereal King said, considering her. "So you're a Demon now... that's what happens when you toy with things above you."

Bansheera frowned. "Well guess what, Michael? Your brother, Beelzebub? I destroyed him two thousand years ago! Your rivalry is over!"

"So... it was _you_ that destroyed him... No matter. I currently have a project going that should take care of that. For the time being, though... I can't have you Demons running around. Your Black Energy will disrupt the Holy War." Michael said.

Bansheera sneered. "So... you want to join your brother?"

"Actually, it is Beelzebub that will soon be joining _me_. As for you, though..." Michael said, pointing a sword at Bansheera. "It is _your_ turn to fall in battle!"

. . .

Trinity stared in disbelief. "That's... that's impossible! I watched you fall!"

Tria shook her head in disappointment. "Why didn't you go after me? Why didn't you look for me?"

"We tried, but we couldn't get to you!" Trinity demanded.

Tria sighed. "You didn't try hard enough. But guess what? I survived the fall. And now, I'm here for revenge!"

"Revenge!? What are you talking about! This is excellent news! You're back!" Trinity cried out.

"No. It's over. Our relationship was over the moment you began seeing Yoral. You lied to me. It was you, me, Yoral, and Saba. And yet, you and Yoral were doin' your own thing behind my back! Furthermore, you jumped from him straight to Zordon! You stopped bein' my family! You left me behind!" Tria said, her voice increasing in volume with every sentence.

"No! No! It's not like that at all!" Trinity protested. "I always loved you! I mean... I still _do_ love you!"

"Too little too late..." Tria said. She then lifted up her Power Staff. "It's morphin' time!"

Trinity watched as Gold Morphing Energy swirled around Tria. "Gold Ranger Power!"

It had been centuries since she had seen her sister, and seeing her again, especially getting ready to morph, was surreal. She watched as the familiar gold pieces of armor appeared on her knees and elbows. The black suit formed around her and the gold shield landed on her shoulders and around her chest. She then watched a helmet appear over Tria's head, sporting the emblem of the king of Triforia.

"Please no... Tria!"

"Time for a gold rush! Wat-watsaw!" Gold Ranger declared. Gold Morphing Energy glowed around her as she began to weaponize it. She then sprinted forward.

"Ninja Storm! Ranger form! Ha!" Trinity screamed. She then flipped over the Gold Ranger and as she was in midair, she yelled, "Power of light!" transforming into the Pink Ninja Ranger.

"Shadow Mode!"

"Ninja Streak!"

The black and gold blur slammed into the pink and gray blur. A shockwave of Morphing Energy erupted from the impact. Within the two blurs, at the point of contact and faster than the Human eye could see, the Gold Ranger swung her Power Staff as the Pink Ranger blocked it with her blade. They then began ramming into each other midair multiple times, unable to take the other down.

The Gold Ranger backed off first, losing steam as she stayed in Shadow Mode. Both rangers simultaneously flipped away from each other, spinning away and landed in sync. They landed in the exact same way, on one knee and holding their weapons up to their chest.

"My, my... You have become quite strong..." Gold Ranger said, breathing hard.

"Heh... I was holding back..." Pink Ranger replied, also struggling for breath.

"Power Blast!" Gold Ranger screamed, pointing her Power Staff and shooting multiple orbs at her sister.

"Photon Blast!" The Pink Ranger retorted. The wide blast covered a large area, eradicating the golden orbs. Pink Ranger then stared as the light hit Gold Ranger hard. She winced as it did, half regretting having gone so hard.

"Ahh!" Gold Ranger screamed, clutching at her shield. She fell to her knees, sparks exploding from her suit. She then demorphed.

"Tria!" Trinity yelled as she demorphed.

"Don't! Just... don't..." Tria said, looking away. "Don't pretend like you care."

Trinity then watched as Tria teleported away, disappearing as mysteriously as she appeared. Sighing, Tria stood up and continued walking into the darkness.

After a few minutes, she stopped. She could feel someone watching her. She sighed In frustration and turned around in a huff. Her jaw dropped even further in disbelief than when she had seen Tria.

"Trinity!" Zordon cried out, grabbing his head. "Help me!"

. . .

Gosei came tumbling out of his portal, falling flat on his face. "I must have programmed the portal incorrectly..."

"Masterful." Dimitria said sarcastically.

"Ay-yi-yi! Gosei! Are you okay?" Alpha 4 asked.

"Calm down, Alpha!" Gosei said. He then turned to look at Dimitria. "And very funny."

Dimitria giggled. "So, to what do we owe this occasion? Shouldn't you be helping the Order of the Claw?"

"They're Masters of Animal Spirits... they'll be fine." Gosei muttered as he plopped down in Zordon's chair. "I need to buckle down and find Zordon."

"I am sending you now what I was able to find." Dimitria said.

"And here is my graph, correlating her research." Alpha 4 said, showing Gosei a print out.

Gosei looked at it and sighed. "This is very complicated..."

Dimitria nodded. "I am unable to figure out whether Zordon was sent to another dimension, or he..."

"I refuse to believe that a _morphed_ Zordon was destroyed. I've seen him go through a lot these past two millennia. Zordon is only going to lose his life if he himself gives it up voluntarily." Gosei said.

"Well, if he is in another dimension, I hope we find him soon. I was gone for quite a long time, trapped, and it was horribly lonely." Dimitria commented.

"... Alpha? Lock onto Dimitria." Gosei said. "Then, try and correlate her dimension's energy signature with that of Zordon's when he was blasted."

"Right on it!" Alpha 4 declared.

"What are you doing?" Dimitria asked.

"I'm trying to see how we tracked onto you, then see if I can hitchhike off of that trail using Zordon's energy signature to find him." Gosei said.

"It's so simple, yet that's brilliant." Dimitria said.

Gosei laughed. "I found you by accident, and I don't think I could ever repeat that even if I tried. May as well just repeat the accident according to the computer's memory then go from there."

"I have something!" Alpha 4 declared. "Turn your attention to the viewing globe."

As the viewing globe turned on, a shock appeared on Dimitria's monitor. Suddenly, a bright flash of light erupted in the room and Dimitria was spat out of the monitor, once again joining those in the main plane of existence. She looked down in surprise, seeing that although she was free she was what appeared to be a Spirit.

"Dimitria!? How!?" Gosei demanded, staring in shock.

Before she could reply, a deep voice echoed from the viewing globe. In the wide open space where Zordon and Saba were, they could see a flat screen appear in the air, showing them the inside of the Resistance base.

"Is that...?" Saba asked, staring at the three as they stared back at them.

Zordon nodded. "Yes, it is Gosei. I believe they found us."

Back in the lab, Gosei looked at the viewing globe. "Zordon!? Can you hear us!? Where are you!?"

"I can hear you Gosei..." Zordon said. "Now let's figure out how to get us out of here."


	45. Part 0 - Chapter 23: Destiny

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Destiny**

Just as Demi-God Lothor had predicted, Ivicar had been able to find the Sword of Light. Staying hidden like he was told to, he threw it high into the air so Lothor could grab it. Ivicar had hoped that after this he could still use Ivicar to get in with Tidus and subdue him inconspicuously. Lothor hoped this because he feared that his Demi-God powers would fail him in a fight against Sentinel Knight, due to the powers not being matured by going through the Spiral like it should have.

Lothor laughed as he held the Sword of Light in his hands. Focusing slightly, he could also feel Zurgane nearby in the tower, scrambling through dirt and rubble to find the Gem of Souls. Lothor then lifted up the Sword and concentrated on the Morphing Grid, energizing it. He was ready to drain AM Dragon, Goliath, Fenrir, and Roman of whatever Morphing Energy they had before pursuing the Power Eggs and Greatest Treasure in the temple's inner sanctum.

"Emma! Now! Nathadian Anti-Morphing Shield!" Rumple screamed, running into the Great City with his daughter-in-law. They both focused before entering the city, to avoid the anti-magic spell left behind by the wish Ifrit granted to Jakon, and created a thing Lothor knew not existed: Negative Morphing Energy. The powerful blast encircled the Alphas and AM Dragon, bouncing the shot back into the Sword of Light.

"Ahh!" Demi-God Lothor cried out in surprise. From the shadows, Ivicar clenched his fist in anger, Red Energy dancing around him.

As the Sword of Light fell, charged with both Negative and Positive Morphing Energy in an unnatural way, Auron leapt forward and grabbed it, tucking into a ball as he rolled to his target. He lifted it up and sneered. "Come take it, you purple freak."

"YOU WILL PAY FOR DEFYING A GOD!"

Rumple laughed. "No, no... you're not _quite_ a god, Lothor. I remember how the plan works and you have botched it once again."

At that, Yuna ran in with Rikku. Outside the gates of the Great City, Sentinel Knight had instructed the team to come in waves, as a tactic to lull Lothor into a false sense of security. He hoped that, slowly, Lothor would begin to get overwhelmed as he would use much of his power upfront, then lose as he began to see more and more opposition appear from seemingly out of nowhere.

"The mighty Dragon: Bahamut! The aerial ace: Valefor! The lightning beast: Ixion!" Yuna cried out, summoning the three most powerful Animal Spirits she knew, being the same she used in the battle earlier.

Rikku laughed and jumped onto Ixion's back, saying, "Just like old times, buddy. Ride on!" As Ixion charged forward, Rikku pulled out two daggers, ready to hit Lothor.

"Let us help these newcomers..." AM Dragon said to the Alphas.

Goliath nodded. "Yes... I do not know them, and they seem to want to obliterate the clown."

Roman adjusted the lapel on his suit jacket. "Sounds like a plan..."

Lothor frowned. He focused into himself and sent out a blast of Morphing Energy out, sweeping all with him off their feet. Ivicar watched in awe, feelings of wanting to attain such power himself rushing his mind.

Rumple was the first to stand. He snapped a finger and was suddenly reverted into something more powerful. Something darker.

"The Dark One..." Demi-God Lothor said ominously. "You can't use your magic here..."

The Dark One giggled, throwing his arms up. Whenever Rumple allowed the Dark One to come forth, high levels of endorphins among other things would appear in his bloodstream, causing a giddy sort of high. "I know that! Don't you think I am aware, Dearie!? There are other things than magic! Oh, Mary, sweetie!? It's time!"

Outside the gates, Mary breathed in slowly. "That's my cue... Meledon Conversion: Amaradon!"

Mary, in a mage outfit that looked like a mix between a Black Mage and a Blue Mage color wise, swallowed hard as she rushed into the Great City. As the Dark One made eye contact with her, he laughed and nodded. As she returned the nod, he got into place.

The Demi-God Lothor had become watched in shock as they both screamed, "Zocato!"

Lothor was blasted out of the air as the anti-magic attack crashed into him, sending him flying into a tower wall. The stones it was made of began falling down on him as he screamed In rage.

Meanwhile, Auron stood up with the Sword of Light still in hand and looked upon Fenrir. He sneered. "Hello, brother Alpha."

"Hmph. The Alpha Ghost."

"I'm also the Alpha Zombie." Auron said, pointing the blade at Fenrir. "Braska, Jecht, and I started something long ago, and I am going to finish it. Lilith created you fiends and I am going to rid the universe of you lot, just like I banished her away! Only... you lot won't be so lucky to be banished..."

Roman stood up. "We wish to team up to take down that giant purple thing. Truce for now?"

"Not likely." Auron said, rage filling him. "I will end my hunt for you Monsters here and now!"

While Auron rushed to fight them, Yuna looked up, clutching her bruised ribs. _Braska!? Auron knew my father!?_

Quasi-simultaneously, Sentinel Knight approached the inside of the city. _Did Auron just say Jecht!? My... father...?_ He looked from Amaradon Mary and the Dark One fighting Demi-God Lothor, to Auron single handedly fighting the Alphas and sighed.

"App!? Jakon!? Jor!? Come in now!" Sentinel Knight yelled, rushing to help Auron. Outside of being his best friend, Sentinel Knight wanted answers about his father.

"What!? A fight and no one invited me!?" Jor said, rushing in covered in his special translucent armor. He smirked. "Forgiven!"

"For my comrade, Trueheart!" App cried out. He leapt through the air and had his white armored fist slam into Lothor's jaw. Lothor blasted back into the tower. He was extremely frustrated, having forgotten that although he had absorbed a portion of the Universal Magic Grid, he was unable to use it in the Great City.

"Amaradon Scan!" Mary cried out. She then gasped.

"Why, what is it!?" The Dark One asked.

"He... he is very powerful... I don't think we _can_ destroy him. He is very powerful indeed!" Mary said.

"Where there's a will there's a way! Zocato power!" The Dark One said again, directing the blast directly at Lothor.

Lothor gasped as he looked down. He could see his veins enlarging. "What is this!?"

The Dark One laughed. "Well, Zocato is a virus to magic. I'll let you do the math, oh God of _Magic_."

Lothor laughed as he pulled himself up. He then rushed forward and swatted all those around him out of his way, using up a considerable amount of his energy. He punched through a tower and, after rummaging around for a moment, pulled out what appeared to be some scrolls.

Baelfire, Will, Anastasia, and Belle ran in. Will and Anastasia stayed together, each with a bow and arrow while Baelfire rushed to Emma and Belle tried to get to the Dark One. She paused in fear, though, when she saw that he had become the Dark One, a being from her past she had hoped she would have never had to see again.

"What are those, Lothor!?" Emma spat as she regained consciousness, being lifted up by her husband.

"These are a gift. I took them from Dr. Laguna Loire. He had a friend of his documenting this that were to come. I don't know how, but he has predicted everything up to this point, even more so than I have been able to see myself! Dr. Loire called these the Scrolls of Destiny! It says what I wasn't sure if I could believe until I saw it with my own eyes! Even millions of years from now, I will be heading a massive empire! It says I will open the gateway to something called the Abyss of Evil! I _will_ fulfill my destiny!" Lothor cried out, waving the scrolls as if to show them physical proof that their efforts were in vain.

The Dark One laughed. "Well guess what! Heehee! Lookie lookie!" He reached into a pocket of his robe and pulled out a piece of paper that looked to match Lothor's scroll.

"What is that!?" Lothor demanded.

"I took a piece of that parchment. The end of it, actually. As future leverage before we officially parted ways. Guess what? The parchment says you may not win! Ah-haha!" The Dark One declared, flashing the paper to show three figures, one female and two male, in ninja garb.

"But I still have a chance! Which is not the same I can say for you!" Lothor cried out. "ZOCATO!"

"Oh..." The Dark One yelled as the blast hit everyone. All those in the Great City were hit hard, with the exception of Ivicar and Zurgane.

"You. Can't. Win!" Lothor cried out. Then, without warning, a dark entity descended onto his head in a blur. It leapt off and landed next to Amaradon Mary.

She turned and saw AM Dragon beside her. He nodded. "Mary, my dear... with skin as white as snow..."

Pain gripped her heart. "David!?"

"Dad!?" Emma said, pulling herself up to her feet.

He nodded. "I am awake... for now. I don't know how much longer I can be me before..."

Lothor screamed in a rage as blood poured down his chest from his neck wound. "Give up! You cannot win!"

"Symbol power!" Jakon roared, rushing down from the city gates. He waved his hand in the air, creating a flaming red symbol with the movements. It had the following shape: 火.

"Whoa..." Jor said in awe, watching fire stream out from the symbol and hit Lothor hard.

"To channel power like that... he has become a master..." App remarked in wonder.

"The others are coming." Jakon said to the group with a smirk on his face.

"Traitor!" Lothor screamed. He flew up above the others and shot a Zocato blast at Jakon. Before it hit, Sentinel Knight opened his palm and absorbed the attack, stepping In between Jakon and Lothor.

"I don't know how, but I know someone named this object... my powers come from the Corona Aurora! And now you will feel its power!" Sentinel Knight cried out.

Lothor smiled. "I am more than ready." They watched in horror as he began to fly out of the Great City. Once outside, he would be able to tap into his magic and destroy them all.

"Nooo!" Auron screamed. He jumped up, having regained his composure, and slashed the Sword of Light at Lothor. The mighty Demi-God crashed down with a massive thud to the earthy ground below.

Auron landed a few feet away from him. He focused on his natural tap to the Morphing Grid to be able to better fight the powerful villain. As Lothor arose, Auron channeled as much energy as he could. As he did, it began mixing with the energy already stored in the Sword of Light. A green surrounded Auron. It then became grid-like in looks, with a yellow "V" appearing from his shoulder down toward the belt that appeared around his waist. A black collar appeared, surrounding the entirety of his neck. Over his head, a green helmet appeared, with a visor that appeared to be an "A" shape.

"What is this!?" Lothor demanded.

"I am the first of my kind. I am a warrior fueled completely by the Morphing Grid. I am the Alpha Hunter! Hi-yah!"

"Auron..." Sentinel Knight said. He did not recognize the power and feared it, hoping it wouldn't have negative effects on his friend.

"Ahhh!" Rikku yelled, coming out from seemingly nowhere and digging her daggers into Lothor's trapezius. She began riding him like a cowgirl.

As Alpha Hunter began to make his way to Lothor, he was interrupted by Roman and Fenrir.

"Where do you think you're going!?" Fenrir screamed in rage. Slash marks could be seen all around his torso from the battle he had been in moments earlier with Auron and Sentinel Knight.

"We're not done with you, _brother_." Roman said. He lunged forward with his mouth becoming the entirety of his face, ready to eat Alpha Hunter.

Alpha Ranger raised his sword up. Morphing Energy in the form of lightning enveloped the sword. He then swung the sword in a downward arc, slashing Roman right across the chest. Roman fell to his knees and gasped.

"Impossible! I'm the strongest Alpha!" Roman cried out as energy danced around him.

Alpha Hunter shook his head. "No. _I_ am."

He then looked at Fenrir as Roman exploded. He tossed the Sword of Light at Fenrir like a spear. It sunk with a sickening sound into Fenrir's chest. Energy crackled around him as he fell onto his back. The blade hit the dirt before he did, causing his to be suspended above the ground, being held up by the sword in his chest. As he exploded, Alpha Warrior grabbed the sword where it stood.

Turning to Goliath, Alpha Warrior said, "I have nothing against you, brother. I know you were probably lied to by the others. You may go."

Goliath shook his head. "No. That beats must fall. I stay and fight. For my people."

Alpha Hunter nodded and turned to look at Lothor with Goliath. They could see the group doing all they could to damage Lothor and keep him from getting airborne. It seemed Lothor had gained a second wind and was still holding his own.

"For Braska. For Jecht. For the universe." Alpha Hunter said. With the Sword of Light in hand, he rushed forward, followed by the Alpha Gargoyle Goliath.

Meanwhile, above the Great City, Azazel frowned. "I do not see Beelzebub."

Goresakubo shook his head. "Neither do I. But I feel great Demonic power from beneath the Great City."

Azazel nodded. "As do I. Let us go down, then. It must be Beelzebub." He guessed, not knowing his master had been sealed away and the presence he felt was Bansheera.

"What about those fighting down there?" Goresakubo asked.

Azazel laughed, clutching his three eyed scythe. "They join us... or perish."


	46. Part 3-Chapter23:The Battle in the Grove

**Chapter Twenty-Three: The Battle in the Grove**

Michael barreled forward and began attacking the Demons that had been summoned by Jinxer. He clenched his teeth as he pushed them all to the side. He destroyed a few with a single swing as he made his way to his real target.

Bansheera laughed as she saw that he was charging toward him. "I beat you once, and I can do it again."

"You seem to not have the same Magic you once had!" Michael said, leaping over Vypra and swinging his sword at Bansheera.

Turning into her Demon form, Bansheera scoffed. "What do you mean!? I'm just as powerful as I always have been!"

"Oh, really? Than where is that Red Magic you used against me? I no longer feel it within you..." Michael said as Bansheera's claws blocked his blow.

"Dark Magic is so much more potent, especially when I wield the powers of Death itself!" Bansheera said, throwing the side away from her and blasting Michael with Black Energy.

"I'm going to help him!" Doc yelled, having been forcefully demorphed like the rest of the Gaia Rangers. He ran forward, determination on his face.

"Doc! Wait!" Miha screamed, pulling herself up.

"For the Queen!" Freezard screamed. He shot Doc with a laser, capturing him and forcing him into his dimension.

"Nooo! Dooooc!" Miha screamed as Marvelous jumped up and supported her.

"We'll get him back! I promise!" Marvelous said.

"We have to! He's my brother! We've been through too much together!" Miha cried out.

Jinxer laughed. "Look at those fools! Get them!"

Joe spat as he made his way to the others. "There are too many of them. We won't win."

"How can you say that!?" Luka demanded.

"I was one of the best the United Alliance had, remember? I know a losing battle when I see one." Joe replied calmly, as if he was consigned to his fate.

"We can't talk like that!" Marvelous cried out. "We still have to save Doc!"

"Doc is gone, Marvelous." Joe said. "You saw what that Demon did to him. We're next."

Guy sighed. "I agree with Joe. We can't take them all out. Look. They're coming toward us slowly. They're just playing with us."

Marvelous sighed. "Are you guys sure?"

Joe nodded. "Yes." Guy nodded as well.

Marvelous looked to Luka. "And you?"

Luka smiled and hugged him as he held onto Miha. "I say we take out as many as we can, little brother."

"Well... I'm not the leader here. Miha?" Marvelous said.

Sneering, Miha broke her embrace with Marvelous and stood, front and center. "Let's make this showy. Change cards!"

All together, the remaining five Gaia Rangers shouted out, "Sky Armor!"

"The Animal Spirit of breath! Phoenix! Gaia Pink!"

"The Animal Spirit of storms! Dragon! Gaia Red!"

"The Animal Spirit of blossoms! Tiger! Gaia Yellow!"

"The Animal Spirit of Waves! Shark! Gaia Blue!"

"The Animal Spirit of Venom! Snake! Gaia Black!"

"Power Rangers: Gaia!" They all shouted.

"This is for my life... for two thousand years your kind tormented Doc and me. Today, we strike back." Gaia Pink said, clenching her fist. "Everyone? Bring your weapons together. Insert your Power Energy is death, right? Well, we're White Energy, life filled Power Rangers. We are _full_ of life! Let's give them more than they can handle!"

"And let's do it enthusiastically!" Gaia Black shouted as they put their weapons together, inserting theirPower Cards in.

"Don't just stand there! Get them!" Jinxer shouted.

"We'll sit this one out..." Diabolico said as he gestured for Loki(D) to follow him. Vypra looked around and ran after them as well.

"Hey, Marv!" Gaia Yellow shouted.

"What!?" Gaia Red replied as the weapons were draining them of their White Energy.

"Just imaging they are a squadron of giant babies! Then you'll be more motivated!" Gaia Yellow yelled, laughing.

"Oh, ha. Ha." Gaia Red replied, reaching over and slapping her on the back of the head.

"Dynamic Victory Charge!" Gaia Pink yelled suddenly, interrupting the joking. The rangers held on tightly as the White Energy erupted from their combined weapons.

"Ahhh!" The Demons screamed as they had gotten to the group. White fire danced on their bodies as they exploded around the Gaia Rangers, who had all fallen to their knees.

"Our weapons..." Gaia Blue said. "They're disappearing..."

"We're demorphing, too." Gaia Black said, becoming Guy once again.

"Guys..." Luka said. "I'm... I'm see through..."

"It's over." Miha said, running to Marvelous. "Are we...?"

Marvelous smiled. "I think so. Hopefully this time, it'll stick, eh?"

"I... I looked for you, Marvelous! I tried so hard to find you for two thousand years! I'm sorry it took so long!" Miha cried out suddenly.

Marvelous laughed. "I know... I know..." He brought her in close and hugged her tightly.

Joe folded his arms as he stood up. He looked at Michael fighting Bansheera. He smiled a large smile when he saw Bansheera get slashed across the abdominal region. "Okay, good. Now just sidestep left and..."

Michael did just as Joe predicted, sidestepping to his left and raising up the sword. He then swung with all his might, slashing clean through Bansheera's torso, causing her body from the navel up to fall to the dirt as her legs stayed standing, before toppling over as well.

 _I now have no regrets..._ Joe thought. _Had we not sacrificed everything, Michael would have been surrounded and unable to fight Bansheera. I can move on knowing we won._

"Joe!" Guy screamed as Joe vanished.

"It's happening, isn't it?" Luka asked.

Guy laughed, turning to look at Luka, Miha, and Marvelous. "Yep. I guess I was living on borrowed time anyway... Well, guys... Thanks for bringing me back for one last adventure together. After you guys sacrificed yourselves back when we were Gokaigers, I never stopped thinking about our time together. I am so grateful I got to fight with you guys again. And... I already lived a full life. I can now move on a happy and fulfilled man."

Luka gasped as Guy disappeared. She then looked down and saw that she, too, was fading quicker. She laughed as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Do you think we did enough? You know... to redeem what we did as the Dai Zangyack?"

Marvelous looked down. "I don't know."

Miha laughed, crying as well. "I'd say, 'most definitely'. You guys helped me free my family from the Savage Sword on Rashon, we were able to defeat Maligore, we helped countless innocent people, and we were just a part of the final battle against the Queen of the Demons. I'd say you're redeemed."

Luka smiled, placing one hand on a hip. "Well, Princess Momomille... None of it would have happened without you. Without you, we probably would've all been destroyed by Master Vile or Lord Zedd. Hehe... I will forever be thankful I was assigned to help escort you back to Rashon."

And like that, Luka was gone.

"Luka..." Marvelous said sadly.

Miha hugged him tighter. "I know you two were like family. I'm sorry..."

"She was right, though." Marvelous said. "I will forever be grateful for the day I escorted you from the Galactic Conference. You changed my life for the better, Miha. I love you."

"... I... I love you, too, Marvin." Miha said, smiling.

They then leaned over and kissed. As they did, they vanished.

Michael pointed his sword at the barely living Bansheera. "Excellent. You have lost enough power. You cannot interfere with the Holy War anymore." Wings then sprouted from his back as he flew away.

At that moment, Vypra, Jinxer, Diabolico, and Loki(D) came out from hiding behind a massive hill. They slowly approached Bansheera.

"My queen! She lives!" Jinxer cried out.

"Then let us take her away. Take us to the ship, Jinxer." Diabolico demanded.

Jinxer nodded. He pushed a button on his remote and teleported the five up to their small space shuttle in orbit around Earth.

As that occurred, a yellow light descended onto the battlefield. From the light Notrom, the Liarian who had been working with Gosei on the Ranger Keys, appeared.

"What do you see?" Zordon asked over the communicator. "Our outward visuals are down while Gosei is tapping into my dimension."

"Those blessed angels indeed have fallen, Zordon. I'm sorry I did not intervene... I was scared..." Notrom said.

"Do not be ashamed. You are not a fighter." Zordon said. "Demons are a powerful and dangerous crowd."

"Well, I am sorry to hear of your predicament, Zordon of Eltar. I only called you when I felt large spikes of Ranger energy. I had to investigate." Notrom said.

"You did the right thing." Notrom heard Gosei say. "And I'm not trying to be insensitive, but... can you see their morphers so we can make Ranger Keys of their powers?"

Saba leaned forward and whispered into Zordon's ear. "The mere fact he put the word 'but' in there means that he _is_ being insensitive."

"I am getting readings from their Power Cards." Notrom replied, finding them buried in the dirt. "But I only have five."

"Zordon. I am getting readings of a sixth Power Card mere feet from Notrom right now." Alpha 4 reported.

"Did you hear that?" Dimitria asked Notrom.

Notrom nodded. After collecting the five Power Cards, he turned and began waddling. Alpha 4 directed him until he saw a large figure lying in some brush. Notrom went over and waved his key wand, healing the figure.

"Ugh... What happened?" Doc asked, shaking his head.

"Oh, my! I saw you get hit by one of those Demons. You must have been blasted here after the explosion that destroyed the Demons." Notrom said.

"What!? They're all gone!?" Doc asked happily, jumping up. "We did it! Finally! The Demons are gone!"

Notrom fell into silence as Doc looked around. "Where is everyone? Did they teleport out?"

"Here are their cards. I am sorry... they did not make it..."

"No, that's not possible... No! No!" Doc cried out. "We've been through too much! That's not fair!"

"I am so very sorry." Notrom said, wobbling over to Doc and hugging him.

Meanwhile, Zordon looked at those in the lab via the Viewing Globe. "Let's give them some space."

"Agreed." Gosei replied. He then turned to Dimitria. "So, how did you end up getting out?"

"I can only assume I was released due to some energy currents from Zordon's dimension and my... lack of one." Dimitria postulated.

Zordon sighed. "Well, at least _something_ good came of this. Alpha? Can you lock on me and teleport me out of here?"

Alpha 4 shook his head. "I am sorry, Zordon. I am having a hard enough time just maintaining a visual on you. It is massively draining our power."

"Then I want you to switch to something more concentrated, so I can still see you all." Zordon ordered.

Alpha 4 nodded. He tapped some controls and the image zoomed in on Zordon's face. Alpha dropped the resolution down and cropped out any other images that may have leaked in from the other dimension.

"Whoa..." Gosei said. "You look bald, Zordon."

"And like a floating head..." Dimitria added.

Zordon sighed. "Getting back on subject, Alpha 4? I need you to continue trying to get a lock on me. Perhaps with not as much energy being used to have me connected through the Viewing Globe, it will work now."

Alpha 4 nodded. "I will do all I can, Zordon."

"Where is Robo Knight? Why did he not help the Gaia Rangers?" Zordon asked.

"He was involved in a massive development." Dimitria said. "Apparently, he helped the Beast Watch Rangers and the Order of the Claw defeat Dai Shi."

"He's done for? Gone?" Zordon asked surprisingly.

Saba smiled. _Oh, fantastic. The_ _Animal Warriors_ _can finally get down to living a normal life... I just hope Black Lion can now focus on fixing his family life between Lionel and Leon._

Gosei nodded. "Yes. Something happened and he became a Demon, so they have him locked in a box, in a Demon Trap. Robo Knight is helping them arrange everything to ensure he cannot escape."

"Excellent." Zordon said. "Now, back to the Gaia Rangers. It is a shame what happened to them. While Alpha tries to get a fix on me, I want you, Gosei, to meet with Doctor Goier and bring him in to our base. Help him with this new phase of his life, and see if he is willing to continue the fight. Perhaps he can help with the Ranger Keys like Guy Kari did long ago."

"Will do." Gosei said, turning around and leaving.

"Dimitria? Any word from Rita Repulsa?" Zordon asked.

Dimitria shook her head. "None. I ran some scans and I cannot find any trace of her in our solar system."

"It must have worked, then..." Zordon thought aloud. "Okay, then we need to build some morale. We have lost the Gaia Rangers, and I am trapped in another dimension. Soon the news will spread throughout the Resistance and people will lose confidence. We need to focus on the positive. Rita is gone and so is Dai Shi. According to Notrom, so is Bansheera. These were three _very_ major antagonists. We need to focus on this. I need you to arrange for a celebration, while Lord Zedd is recalibrating for his next move. Let us have it where the Gaia Rangers fell."

"What is the name of the place, so I can pass it along?" Dimitria asked.

"Hmm... Well, they were Ethereal based, and I found that what Notrom called them, 'angels', to be fitting, especially since they were the antithesis to Demons. How about we name it right now? I say from henceforth, that grove will be known as 'Angel Grove'.

. . .

Trinity looked at Zordon in confusion. "Zordon!? How did you get here!?"

"Michael! He attacked me and threw me here! I don't know where we are... I hurt so much..." Zordoncried out.

"I'm coming, Honey!" Trinity said.

As she ran forward, suddenly Yoral appeared. "Oh, thank you Sweetie!"

Zordon looked up to see Yoral appear in the way between him and Trinity. "You!? Hmph... I see how it is! How dare you, Trinity!?"

Trinity looked to Zordon, exasperated. "Oh, not you, too. I don't know what this freak is doing here!"

Zordon shook his head. "Don't take me for a fool!"

Yoral laughed. "I don't think she can help herself. You are what you are, Z."

Zordon spat. "You betrayed me, Trinity. _You are my_ _wife_!"

Yoral puckered his lips as he thought. "Yeah... I think I'm going to let you guys resolve this."

Before Trinity could react, Yoral vanished in a Zocato cloud.

"I can't believe I trusted you! You know, it makes sense, really... You Triforians are always _triple_ guessing yourselves. I should've known the woman I married was only _one_ of your personalities."Zordon said, angry written on his brow.

"How can you say that!?" Trinity demanded. "Zordon, I love you!"

"I can't believe that! I have a universe to save! You and your lies will just get in my way... Trinity, I can't have you in my life anymore." Zordon said.

The scene was surreal. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. He stomach was in knots. Her heartfelt as if someone had been stabbing it. "Zordon... Please stop..."

Zordon sighed. "I will stop... I am stopping this whole thing. Ancient source: Meledon force."

Trinity's eyes grew wide as she saw the Meledon Ranger appear before her. The red tiger saber promptly appeared in his right hand. He lifted it up and pointed to Trinity. "This ends here."

Trinity began crying. "No, Zordon! Please!"

"Nathadian Blast!" Meledon Ranger cried out. A red wave erupted from him and hit Trinity hard. She fell to her back hard. Her vision blurred and blood dripped from her mouth.

"Get up! Fight me!" Meledon Ranger demanded. He gripped the saber tightly.

Trinity tried standing. Her ears were ringing and she was having trouble keeping her balance. She was on all fours, but kept falling to her side. "Zordon! Puhle-he-hease! Stop!"

Meledon Ranger sighed. "I will never let you tell me what to do again, you lying traitor. Goodbye, Trinity. Meledon Shockwave!"

. . .

In a forest near where Michael had set up camp, a time vortex opened. Out from it fell Nathadian Ranger. He gasped in pain as he clutched his chest. The red gem, housing his life sustaining Nathadian powers, was gone.

 _I don't care what the Guardian says... I will get Trinity out of there... This suit will keep me alive long enough to get to her._

He began making his way through the forest when suddenly a voice was heard in his helmet. "What are you doing!? Get back to the Hall of Legends immediately! You'll be destroyed without the gem!"

"That's your fault, Guardian. You should have given me the gem." Nathadian Ranger said.

"I told you I need to calculate the probability that something very bad will happen if you get Trinity now. Please, wait a little longer! Now that I have September here with all of us, it will be easier to calculate everything." The Guardian implored.

"Then you better hurry and calculate everything before I get to her." Nathadian Ranger said.

"Do not do this, Nathadian Ranger!" Guardian shouted.

"Call me by my name!" Nathadian Ranger demanded.

"I... I can't... There are others listening and if they hear me reveal your name, your powers will begin to fade..." Guardian said.

"What!? How is someone listening in!?" Nathadian Ranger demanded, breathing heavily as he struggled to push his way to the bottom of the mountain where Michael's cave was.

"It is a friend of mine... or a friend I will have... from the future. He is watching this. I will explain later. I just can't say your name because I know he is listening." Guardian said.

"Whatever, then." Nathadian said. He then began to climb up the side of the mountain.

"Nathadian Ranger... You will not survive that climb! Without that gem, this timeline will deteriorate you! The suit is not enough to keep you alive!" Guardian yelled.

Nathadian scoffed, attempting his climb. "I... I can't let Trinity down..."

"You leave me no choice... I hope this doesn't majorly hurt our power supply." Guardian said.

Nathadian Ranger slipped and fell a few feet back down to the bottom of the mountain. He sighed and shook his head, grabbing his right arm after landing badly. "What are you talking about?"

Suddenly, a time vortex opened up before him. From out of the vortex, a second Nathadian Ranger came out, but with a red gem in the chest slot.

"Guardian!? That is too dangerous!" Gemless Nathadian cried out.

Gemmed Nathadian nodded. "We know it is... but what you are doing is also dangerous."

"So the Guardian sent my own son to come and get me!? How dare you try and stop me!" Gemless Nathadian cried out, slamming his fist into the ground.

Gemmed Nathadian sighed. "Dad, please! Trust me! We can do this, but we need more time! You areZordon of Eltar! The great wizard! Please... this isn't what Mom would've wanted..."

Gemless Nathadian started crying. "... I can't let this happen to her... I've seen her be destroyed before... Please..."

"Trust me! Please, Dad!" Gemmed Nathadian pleaded.

The Nathadian Zordon nodded. He pulled himself up and made his way to his son. They both walked into the time vortex and vanished.


	47. Pt0-Chp 24:Out w the Old, In w the New

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Out with the Old, In with the New**

Alpha Warrior swung the Sword of Light with expertise. Sentinel Knight watched as it arced through the air before slashing Demi-God Lothor across the chest. Another swing and the sword was lodged in his throat. Magic was escaping from the gash now next to Lothor's throat as if it were blood. Said Magic evaporated immediately as it touched the air, being in the Great City where no Magic was permitted due to Jakon's Djinn wish.

" _Zocato_!" Lothor screamed. He focused as hard as he could and blasted those around him away. All except Jor, Jakon, App, Sentinel Knight, the Dark One, Amaradon Mary, AM Dragon, and Alpha Warrior.

"This is for my universe. I will not fall!" Amaradon Mary cried out.

AM Dragon nodded. "We fight together!" He then tossed a ball of Black Energy at Demi-God Lothor.

"Amaradon Conversion: Zocato!" Mary shouted. She shot AM Dragon's attack with the Amaradon powers, turning it into a massive, Black Energy infested ball of Zocato power. The blast hit the Magic infused Demi-God hard.

"Let's see how you like this!" The Dark One said, laughing hysterically. He focused his Dark Magic and blasted it at Lothor. The Dark Magic gathered all of the Zocato blast that was still emanating around Lothor and concentrated it. Before Lothor knew what had hit him, he saw the Dark One funnelling the Zocato powers into the gash under the blade of the Sword of Light.

"Nooo!" Lothor screamed. He realized that the Dark One was causing the Zocato power to infect him, to act as a virus that would eliminate all of what was inside him, which was all Magic.

"Attack!" App said. He closed his eyes and shot a powerful blast of his inner Spirit into Lothor.

Jor closed his eyes. "Light of the light, strength of the soul, ignite this eternal power inside of me. I am Ninja!" A massive attack blasted out from Jor, mixed with the very essence of the Morphing Grid. It hit Lothor with great force, causing the massive Demi-God to buckle over in pain. Lothor sneered as he tried to lift himself up.

Jakon, too, closed his eyes. "I am pure of heart, body, mind, and Spirit. I now become one with the Power of Ninja!" A red colored attack escaped from him, flowing out and adding to the damage on the mighty Lothor.

"How... HoW DaRE yOU bETRay ME, JAkOn!" Lothor screamed. His voice sounded as if it was warping in and out, in an odd ethereal sort of manner.

"It doesn't feel too good when the shoe is on the other foot, does it?" AM Dragon asked, leaping into the air. He came slamming down with surprising power, jamming his dragoon lance into the other side of Lothor's neck. The quasi-immobilized villain could only howl in pain. He pathetically swiped at AM Dragon as he dislodged his weapon but missed.

Alpha Warrior took the pause as his opportunity to leap forward and rip the Sword of Light from its resting place before Lothor had the energy to do so himself. He sneered as he pointed it at Lothor. "I can feel it... within me I hold a great connection to the Morphing Grid. I am going to use this power to stop you from hurting those who are my family."

Sentinel Knight gripped Excelsior tightly as Alpha said this. The entire time, Sentinel Knight had taken a backseat to the fighting to watch. When he heard Alpha Warrior, Auron, say that they were his family, however, he was knocked out of his stupor and rushed forward with Alpha Warrior as well.

"Your lawlessness and disorder ends here!" Sentinel Knight cried out. Both Excelsior and the Sword of Light hit Lothor simultaneously.

Suddenly, a massive burst of power exploded from Lothor. Those standing were unable to keep themselves from falling from this attack.

"hAHaHa! YOu ThouGHT thAt YoU cOULd DefeaT ME!? hA! I... i WILl SHOw YOU TRuE POwER!" Lothor cried out. The group watched in fear as a massive cloud of Zocato power appeared over Lothor's head. A miscalculation on the Dark One's part, he didn't figure that as long as he had the enhanced Zocato power within him that the Dark One and Mary infused into him, that he would mix it with his own and use it to destroy those around him.

"I... I can't..." The Dark One screamed, "demorphing" back into Rumple.

Mary, no longer as the Amaradon Mage, grabbed the hand of her Demonified husband. "I love you, Charming."

AM Dragon nodded. "I love you, too."

Sentinel Knight tapped into the strength of the Corona Aurora and pulled himself up. "I will destroy you!"

Lothor laughed. "Zocato!"

Yuna, having finally gotten the strength to stand, screamed in horror as the biggest cloud of Zocato power any of them had ever seen blasted out of Demi-God Lothor. It hit Sentinel Knight and, in a blink, disintegrated him.

"Tidus! No!" Yuna cried out.

As that occurred, every last bit of power Lothor had was gone. All that was left of him was solely his measly clown body. Blood trailed down his clothes from the wounds on either side of his neck. He limped forward, laboring his body with each step. He spat on Rumple as he dragged himself past the fallen warriors, many themselves fighting for consciousness. He was making his way to the Power Eggs and the Greatest Treasure in the Universe.

"I... I win... Rumple. I... I told you that I would... I... I am a God! I- oof!"

Before anyone could give it a second thought, Thor swept down from the sky and slammed into Lothor using Mjölnir. The mighty hammer crashed into Lothor's abdominal cavity and sent him flying into a wall.

As he dropped to the ground, Loki landed beside Lothor. He lifted him up and smiled. "Oh, what a puny god you are!" He then tossed Lothor up and swung his metallic staff, hitting Lothor as if he were a baseball.

The beaten soldiers watched in awe as Lothor flew through the sky over the Great City. The man who just moments earlier seemed to be the most powerful man in the universe had suddenly been demoralized into nothing more than he was: a sad, weak little man covered In absurd body paint.

 _Their defiance will be met with my vengeance! No one makes a fool of me and gets away with it, for I am the almighty Lothor!_ The villain thought arrogantly as he approached the downward descent of his travel arc.

Curling his lip in anger (taking almost all energy his facial muscles had left), Lothor began yelling: "You think you can stop me!? I. Am. Lothor! This is the dawn of my empire! This is the dawn of-"

"Woo-hoo!" Geki screamed. He came barreling into the Great City, riding on the head of a Tyrannosaurus-Rex. Before Lothor could utter another word, the T-Rex lunged forward and caught Lothor in the air with its mouth. The fighters for justice all winced as they heard the massive dinosaur crunching on Lothor's bones.

"What!?" Boi cried out. "That's all that was needed? Aw, man..."

Mei swooped down, riding a Pterodactyl. "Hmmm... maybe all these other Dinosaurs were overkill..."

"He's... He's gone?" Mary asked incredulously.

Alpha Warrior fell as he tried to stand, becoming dizzy. He knew not that the _other_ power he felt inside him was his great tap to the Anti-Morphing Grid. Having to exist simultaneously in one vessel with the Morphing Grid was having serious adverse effects within the body that was Auron's.

Yuna ran to him as the others in the area began to organize themselves. Rikku limped over as well.

"Yunie!? Are you okay!? Why are you crying!? We won!" Rikku cried out happily. Even though it wouldn't bring her family back, it was satisfying for her to know that the fiend that had destroyed her family was destroyed, himself.

"It's Tidus... If he had only been able to hold on a little longer, he'd survived." Yuna lamented.

Alpha Warrior nodded, still leaning against a tower wall. "Lothor channeled everything to destroy him, though. In a way, if Tidus had not sacrificed himself, we would have never defeated him."

"It's still not fair." Yuna said.

"Yeah... I agree..." Tidus remarked, appearing before Yuna.

"What!? Tidus!?" Yuna exclaimed, looking up. Perhaps it was because she was needing someone to replace her fallen family and people, or because there was some sort of natural attraction between the two of them. Whichever was the case Yuna knew not, and cared not. All she knew was that she had begun to care deeply for Tidus and for the first time, seeing him standing seemingly unscathed before her, she consciously realized it.

Yuna ran forward, reaching out to hug Tidus. As she reached him, he outstretched his arms as well. Instead of hugging him, however, Yuna fell right through him. Tidus shimmered in a green light as Yuna fell to the floor. Tidus looked down in confusion. While Rikku watched wide eyed, Alpha Warrior shook his head.

"Tidus... are you a Ghost?" Alpha Warrior asked.

"More or less..." Loki said, appearing. "Apparently this is because he bonded himself to Excelsior."

"Explain." Tidus demanded.

"Well, it is an extremely powerful weapon. The same bond you share with it is the bond Thor shares with Mjölnir. To defeat him one needs to destroy him with his own weapon. Until then, Thor is undefeatable. We never saw someone as powerful as Lothor, though. We were told by Belle what happened to you and we are guessing if something is strong enough to hit you hard all at once, like Lothor was, you would become unincorporated, but the Excelsior will still bring you back." Loki explained. "That in addition to your powers from the Corona Aurora make you an extremely formidable opponent. You should become incorporated again upon reuniting with the sword."

"Thank you for the exposition." Azazel said, landing from his purple Demon Cloud over the spot where the sword Excelsior had landed. He bent down and picked it up. "I will make sure to keep that info in mind."

Alpha Warrior spat. "Demons!"

"Where is Beelzebub?" Goresakubo inquired, appearing behind Azazel.

AM Dragon leapt and landed in between the Demons and their targets. "Leave here now!"

"Hmph. It looks like I need to knock some sense into you." Azazel said. He blasted AM Dragon with a shot of Dark Energy. He was hit hard and rocked backward, sailing past Tidus and those with him, into a wall.

"David!" Mary cried out.

"We'll get him!" Will shouted. He nodded and he and Anastasia began to rush to the side of the former Nathadian prince.

"Goresakubo!" Azazel cried out, pointing.

The Demon nodded and blasted forward. In the blink of an eye he was upon the two. He punched Will in the chest, sending him flying back. He then, with his other hand, thrust a blade directly into Anastasia's sternum.

"Ana! No!" Belle screamed.

"No! No!" Rumple bellowed in anguish.

"You scum!" Will screamed, pulling himself up. "I'll rip you apart! Ahhh!" His life with Anastasia began to flood his mind. Memories that began to tear at his emotions flashed before his eyes. How they first met; their secret courtship; eloping to start a new life; moving to the Nathadian nation; their involvement with Mary and David; their eventual joining of the resistance against Lothor. Every step of the way, he could feel how madly in love they were with each other. Red Energy danced around Will as he raged within himself. He stared at Goresakubo and vowed he would ensure that Demon was destroyed.

Azazel pointed at those around Tidus. "I'll take these over here. You destroy the rest."

Alpha Warrior pushed himself off the wall. "You are all the offspring of my mistake... had I been successful in destroying Lilith and Caius earlier, none of this would have happened! I vow this day to destroy you all!"

Gripping the Sword of Light, Alpha Warrior began to glow with both types of Morphing Energy and rushed toward Azazel like a bullet. The Sword of Light met the three eyed scythe with a massive clang. They began striking at each other, each trying to decimate the other.

Geki looked at the Dino Guardians. "I guess it _is_ good we brought backup."

Goushi nodded. "Let's fight!" Around the Dino Guardians, a brachiosaurus, pterosaur, triceratops, a pack of velociraptors, and the massive T-Rex that ended Lothor's life came together. They were ready to take on the Demons who stood before them.

"We fight as well!" Diabolico cried out from the skies. He shot a blast of Star Power and hit the area around Mary, sending her flying before slamming into a box, cutting her arm as she fell to the ground.

Before anyone could run to her, Loki(D) landed between her and her allies. He pulled out his bazooka and pointed it at his enemies. "Who am I going to fry first?"

Loki sneered. "The abomination that came out of me! I will destroy you!"

Thor began swinging Mjölnir. "I will stomp you."

Diabolico landed above Mary. "One step forward and I'll destroy her."

Azazel pushed Alpha Warrior off of him and turned to Diabolico. "Where is Beelzebub!?"

"Bansheera didn't tell you? We sealed him away!" Loki(D) said, still eyeing those before him. The Dinosaurs especially seemed twitchy to attack.

"What!?" Goresakubo cried out.

"Traitors!" Azazel accused.

Jakon, just waking up, shook his head. He looked over and saw Jor and App still unconscious. He overheard the Demons arguing and paused to listen.

"Traitor? Beelzebub betrayed us when he focused on Michael more than our cause!" Diabolico retorted.

"You will fall like these Humans for your insolence." Azazel said dryly. He could not believe what Diabolico was saying.

 _Hmm... an inter-squad argument... I can use this..._ Jakon thought, beginning to move around on his stomach unseen.

Unseen by all except Ivicar. As he stared on, feeling lost since he witnessed Lothor being destroyed, he felt someone behind him. He jumped into a fighting stance to find himself face to face with Zurgane.

"Where is Master Lothor? He told me to find this." Zurgane said, holding up the Gem of Souls.

Before Ivicar could reply, he stopped and looked at it. He didn't know how, but he knew within that gem was Lothor's life source. He could feel Lothor within the gem. Ivicar frowned. "Run. Wait for me and I will find you. Keep that gem safe at all costs!"

Zurgane nodded and stealthily made his way out of the Great City. As he did, Ivicar watched as Tidus looked on helplessly. _He still has the Corona Aurora. I need to get it from him!_

Suddenly, AM Dragon got up and leapt forward. He stood next to Diabolico and looked down to see Mary.

"David! Help!" Mary shouted as she held her bleeding arm.

AM Dragon looked at Diabolico and scoffed. "Finish her. I know of no David."

Laughing, Diabolico looked at Azazel and mockingly said, "For Beelzebub!" He then began charging his Star Power to blast Mary head on.

Meanwhile, below the Great City, Bansheera laughed. "Yes! There it is!" She stood before both Power Eggs. She picked one up and kissed it tenderly. She was ready to use it.

"Tsk, tsk..." Killian said, standing behind her.

"Ahh! Killian!? What are you doing here!?" Bansheera demanded.

"Oh, my dear Regina... what have you done to yourself?" Killian asked.

"Huh?" She asked. He pointed to her body. Looking down, she saw how she had unconsciously reverted to her Demon form upon finding the Power Eghs.

"Your journey ends here." Killian said, pointing his sword at Bansheera.

She laughed. "Of all the people, I never guessed you would would be the one to try and stop me in the final stretch."

He flashed her a smile. "Surprise."

"Alright, fine." Bansheera said. She caused a massive fireball of Black Energy to appear in her hand.

Killian cocked an eyebrow. "Impressive. Now, I don't know how this will end up, but I'll tell you one thing: I will make sure you don't get those Power Eggs, or my name isn't Killian Auric Jones."


	48. Part 3 - Chapter 24: Memories

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Memories**

Dimitria looked at the screen before her. The six members of the Karovan System smiled back at her.

"So, do you understand that Zordon wants a small gathering here to commemorate our victories?" Dimitria asked.

Anlong, a young man in a red robe, nodded. "Copy that. You can expect the Space Rangers to be there. I was wondering why things were so silent out here recently. I guess Dark Specter put all of his focus on Earth."

"We are sorry to hear about Zordon. Our condolences and we hope there is some way to help him." Darenda, a woman in a silver robe, said.

"I think Zordon will be happy to hear that from you in person, don't you?" Dimitria asked. The other rangers said their farewell and Dimitria logged off. She dialed the next secure link.

"Hello?" Kamen asked, appearing onscreen.

"Are you doing well, Kamen?" Dimitria asked.

Kamen sighed. "I just got the news about Earth. I am very sorry to hear about Zordon."

"You do know he is still alive, right?"

"Yes, but the state he is in is one to mourn."

"Do you not remember I was in a similar state for two thousand years?" Dimitria asked.

"Well... I guess I didn't take that into account. My apologies, Dimitria. If you say I should look at the bright side in this situation, I suppose I should follow that advice. But, on the nite about Zordon, my father wishes for Alpha 4 to stay with him. Zordon will need someone to act as his arms for the next while." Kamen replied, still feeling uncomfortable about not having thought of Dimitra's similar circumstance.

Dimitria, sensing this, decided to end Kamen's feelings of awkwardness. "Did you know I called because Zordon wants a meeting to celebrate the downfall of Dai Shi, Rita Repulsa, and the Demon Bansheera? Will you be in attendance?"

Kamen shook his head. "I cannot. Things are rough here against Dregon. We are trying to reorganize the Masked Rider Warriors, but we have lost a few in battle. We thankfully didn't also lose their morphing equipment. I need to be here to help my father in this restructuring."

Dimitria nodded. "I know not of a way to wish you luck other than to say, 'may the power protect you', do you?"

Kamen chuckled. "Same to you, Dimitria. Until the next time we meet."

Connecting to the planet of Aquitar, Dimitria was greeted by Cestro. "Hello, Dimitria. Is there something I can do to help you?"

Over the years, Dimitria had built a friendship with Cestro and did not feel the need to speak in questions. "I am calling you to inform you that Zordon of Eltar is doing well. I have sent coordinates to you for a place called 'Angel Grove'. He wants there to be a commemorative meeting there to ponder over our latest victories."

"I am sorry, Master Dimitria." Cestro said. "The war on our planet has escalated. The growth beam Hydro Hog was working on is almost complete. I do not know if our efforts will be enough to stop him from succeeding. I fear that now that we do not have access to the Dragonzord, Aquitar will be in danger to giant Monsters."

Dimitria pursed her lips. "Well, Cestro. There is always the Gold Triforian Ranger, Trint. He can use Pyramidus."

"He has the Varox Warriors on his tail. I do not know if he can safely travel the great distance to Aquitar _and back_ safely. Not only will he leave his planet without their champion, he is putting himself at risk." Cestro replied.

"Okay. I will let Zordon know what is happening. Perhaps we can unearth the Zordina Zords and send them to you." Dimitria replied, feeling horrible about the Aquitar dilemma. She had learned after Gosei and Zordon had recovered her from "limbo" about how during the Final Siege Delphine had used a forbidden Aquitian technique called Water Bending to help the group claw their way to Master Vile and the Orb of Doom. When news of the incident reached the ears of the Land Dwellers on Aquitar, they instigated a war on the planet. Their reasoning was that if Delphine was willing to do Water Bending "in a dire situation", then what was to stop her from doing it to them? Their argument was thought widely by the universe at large to be just the excuse the Land Dwellers were looking for to instigate a war without having to answer to the entirety of the Resistance. Zordon said that on paper their dispute made sense, so he felt bound that the Aquitians should handle it themselves.

As Cestro ended the connection, and since Trint was just mentioned, Dimitria called Triforia. Trint was the one to answer. "Oh, hey Dimitria!"

"How are you, Trint?" Dimitria asked.

"Everything is great here. I heard what happened to Zordon, by the way. How is he holding up?" Trint asked.

"Are you too occupied with your duties? Are you able to meet Zordon's request to have your presence at a coordinate I have sent to you? Have you heard of it?" Dimitria asked.

"Angel Grove... nope. But Zordon is doing what there?"

"Would you be interested in a commemoration of the downfall of Rita Repulsa, Bansheera, and Dai Shi? For morale boosting throughout the Resistance." Dimitria asked.

Trint frowned. He knew the Varox bounty hunters were after him, and he did not want to endanger himself for a publicity stunt. "Sorry, D. I can't make the trip just for that. I hope you understand."

"Is it the Varox?"

"Yes. That and I can't leave my planet open for attack for a get together." Trint said openly.

"Who is better able to understand one's situation than oneself? Are you aware we know this?"

"I'm glad. Thank you for everything. I will let you know if I need any help." Trint said.

"And as a goodbye, I pose the question: 'are we not all brothers and sisters, fighting against good?'" Dimitria asked.

"Yeah... Sure." Trint said, logging off.

Dimitria sighed. She sometimes had a hard time figuring out questions to ask, but she just couldn't fight the instinct to ask questions when speaking with those with whom she wasn't very familiar. She then typed in the last message recipient on her long list.

"Hello?" Magnus said. He appeared to be outdoors.

"Hello, Magnus. It has been a while." Dimitria said.

"Yes it has. And congratulations on your freedom. It must be good to be freed from your dimensionless state."

"It is. I only feel bad it is at the cost of Zordon's freedom."

"How is he taking it?"

"Surprisingly well. He is a true champion."

"So is this message in regard to the coordinates you set me to... 'Angel Grove'?" Magnus asked.

Dimitria nodded. "Yes. Zordon is wishing to boost morale by having people come here and have a commemoration of the defeat of Bansheera, Dai Shi, and Rita Repulsa."

"I am sorry, Dimitria. I cannot. My wife is sick and is bedridden. I hope you understand."

"Ah? Yes. Piku. Are the two of you doing well?" Dimitria asked.

"Yes. Magna is not a big enough planet to be targeted often by Dark Specter, and never with large forces. For the most part, things have been good."

Dimitria smiled. "I cannot think of anyone who is more deserving of a happy ending than you. I hope we will have some time to catch up in the future."

"Thank you, Dimitria. Congratulations once again on your freedom. Tell the others I pray for their well-being."

Dimitria sighed again and walked through a wall after sending a guest list to Alpha 4, along with the news Lexian wanted him to stay and help Zordon for the time being. She looked in one room and found Gosei speaking with Doc.

Doc looked down on the table. He saw the five Power Cards that had once belonged to the Gaia Rangers. Next to them were five things Gosei and Notrom had explained to him were Ranger Keys. Each key looked like a Gokaiger.

"Where's the silver key?" Doc asked.

Gosei pointed to Notrom. "It is with the Liarians. They keep it as a memorial to Guy. He was very close to them during his time working on the Ranger Keys."

Doc nodded. "He was a good man. They were all good people."

"That is why we ask for your help." Notrom said, waddling up to the sitting Doc. "We have an idea to fuse these Power Cards with the Gokaiger Keys."

"Why?" Doc asked, confused.

"The Power Cards have traces of your team left in them. When you five sacrificed yourselves two thousand years ago, Gerlit and I were able to collect a good portion of the Morphing Energy left behind by you guys in your Trizyrium Crystals and convert them into Ranger Keys. Guy discovered that they were incomplete, though. We figure, to add another team to the defense around the Greatest Treasure that we just told you about, we could fuse a Power Card to a Gokaiger Key. Gaia Red has Marvelous' essence and would complete the Red Gokaiger Key, and so on with the rest of the team. Unfortunately, the Gokaiger Keys would never function without one morphing first into a Gaia Ranger, but I am currently working on a morpher that would accept the Gokaiger Key as its power source." Gosei explained.

"And how can I help?" Doc asked as he began massaging out the wrinkles in his pants unconsciously.

Notrom pointed at the cards. "We need you to use your White Energy to charge up each Power Card. I can then use my Key Magic to fuse a Ranger Key to a Power Card."

"Okay... oh, you mean now. Got it." Doc said. He picked up the Red Power Card and Red Gokaiger Key. He focused on the Power Card and it began glowing with White Energy. Suddenly, Notrom pointed his key wand at the Ranger Key. It began glowing in a magical golden light. The gold light then danced slowly until it enveloped the Power Card. All at once, they both glowed a bright red before returning to normal.

"Is it finished?" Gosei asked.

Notrom nodded. "Exactly to my calculations." He said in the raspy voice that seemed to be native to all Liarians.

One by one, Doc and Notrom went through the Pink, Blue, and Yellow Cards and Keys, connecting each of them. With each connection, Doc thought of all the good times he had with them. He, Marvelous, and Luka had been friends for years in the United Alliance. He thought of all the times they would eat dinner together, laughing about something bizarre they noticed during a conference, or making fun of the way Sentinel Knight spoke. He thought about Joe and how, although they were not long time friends, how they had become friends and how he had warmed up to the team. He thought about the time when Joe had quit the team and had almost been destroyed by the Fake Gold Ranger, only to arrive just in time to save them from their former pirate mentor, Villamax. He thought about the strong yet sweet soul that was Miha. How determined she had been for centuries on end to save Marvelous and the others from the Demons, even when he himself had given up. He chuckled silently to himself as the final of his friends' keys were junctioned.

Doc then grabbed the Black Power Card and the Green Gokaiger Key. "Umm... since we don't have the Silver Gokaiger Key with us, what do we do with the Black Gaia Card?"

Notrom nodded. "We are going to put these Power Cards on some experimental circuits. We don't want to take your Power Card from you, so I did some equations and found a plan that would allow you to keep your Power Card and to still charge up your Gokai Key. I need you to send your White Energy into both the Key and the Card. This will allow me to still junction the two while you reactivate your Gokai Key."

Doc shrugged. "If you say so..." Before long, the Green Gokaiger Key was linked to the Black Gaia Power Card.

Gosei then stopped forward. "Thank you for deciding to help us, Doctor Goier. Your years of heroism will be put to good use. In fact, could you follow me? Robo Knight has been badly damaged from battling recently and I don't know how to fix it. It is a rather harsh wound."

Doc nodded and got up, following Gosei to another room. As he did, Dimitria looked at the Ranger Keys and Power Cards on the table. She could feel great power coming from them. She could tell that whoever would wield that power set would become a force to be reckoned with.

"A _mega_ force..." Dimitria said out loud to herself.

. . .

The flaming head of Dark Specter's messenger, Chynn, appeared before Lord Zedd. "Why are you still on Earth's moon?"

Zedd sighed. "I... I _question_ Dark Specter's tactic. Just because Zordon is no longer a threat does not mean I should leave here."

"I'll pretend I did not hear that. Now that you are a high ranking officer in Dark Specter's United Alliance of Evil, you will learn to obey him or be destroyed. This is your last warning. You are expected at the Dark Fortress immediately." Chynn said dryly as he vanished.

Zedd grunted. He then turned and looked down at Earth, zooming in with his visor beam. _Mark my words, Earth. I will one day return, and when I do, you will be crushed by my empire!_

Zedd then turned and pointed his Z Staff at the Z Putties, teleporting them and himself to a shuttle awaiting them in orbit around Earth. They then flew away, leaving the Moon Palace housing the Zeo Crystal unoccupied. They were on their way to their new appointment, not knowing if and when they'd ever return.

. . .

Trinity watched as the attack sailed to hit her. She grunted and tapped into her amulet, morphing as she did. She narrowly avoided the blast with a Ninja Streak.

"Hmph. Nathadian Conversion: Ninja Mode." Meledon Ranger said. Chain mail crawled up the sleeves of his arm. His red tiger saber inspired by his lifetime friend, Saba, grew a longer blade and thinner hilt. A black holster appeared on hissho back. Ninja Pink was shocked as Ninja Meledon streaked up to attack her.

In midair she was able to block a few blows before getting slashed across the chest. The attack was incredibly powerful. Sparks exploded from her suit from the contact before she sailed to the floor. Ninja Meledon landed softly mere feet away.

 _I... I can't beat him!_ She thought to herself.

You have to. Believe in yourself! Trinity of Courage declared.

Trinity of Heart was the next to speak. You must reason with him! He is your husband!

Snap out of it! None of this makes sense, does it? Trinity of Wisdom shouted.

"Wait..." Ninja Pink said. "Zordon would never do this to me."

"I _am_ Zordon!" Ninja Meledon cried out. He roared in anger and rushed forward to hit Ninja Pink.

"Photon Blast!" Ninja Pink shouted. A powerful light-based attack sprouted from her and hit Ninja Meledon head on. Although he kept on rushing forward, Ninja Pink continued unloading massive power into him. By the time he reached her, they had both demorphed: Zordon due to damage; Trinity due to being drained.

"Who are you!? Deviot!? Darkonda!?" Trinity demanded. She grabbed "Zordon" by the collar and screamed into his face. He slowly began laughing as he disappeared in a mist of Nathadian power.

Suddenly, Nathadian Ranger appeared before her.

"What? _You're_ behind this?" Trinity asked in shock.

Nathadian Ranger shook his head. "No, but you're starting to realize what is happening. I'm a visual representation of this realization."

"I don't understand..." Trinity said.

"Subconsciously you do." Nathadian Ranger said calmly. As he did, everything flooded into Trinity's mind.

"I'm... in my own thoughts?" Trinity asked.

"Yes. You are realizing that the spell Michael placed on you seems to be causing you to fight against visual representations of significant moments of your life. Yoral represents a time you felt betrayed, and also one when you made the wrong choice. Tria represents your feeling of shame about not being able to save her. Zordon represents the time in your life you felt he was so focused on saving the universe, he became a stranger to you. In your mind, you see him as all-powerful and could not think of a way for you to beat him. Since you knew this wasn't real on some deep level, instead of losing to Zordon, you began to consciously see what was really happening." Nathadian Ranger explained.

"What are you doing here, then? What do _you_ represent?" Trinity asked.

"I represent a side effect if this spell. I am a memory stolen from you from long ago. I am your son, Zrin."

While Trinity faced this past memory, the King of the Ethereals stood over her body, still strapped to a chair. He patted her on the head as if she were his pet as he thought, _Yes. I can feel it. With every thought you defeat, you break down a wall to your mind. Soon, you and your Morphing powers will belong to me, and you were the one who destroyed your own defenses allowing me to do so._

As he thought these things, unseen by him, Nathadian Ranger appeared from a time vortex outside the cave's entrance. "I see her, Guardian." Nathadian Ranger said in a higher pitched voice than what the Future: Omega Ranger had heard Nathadian Ranger speak in before.

"Okay... Remember, Michael is very powerful. The moment you step into that cave, he will know. Don't do anything to endanger Trinity." Guardian said.

Nathadian sighed. "I would never do anythin' to hurt her... I'll get her out, I promise."

"May the Power protect you." Guardian said.

Nathadian breathed in deeply and placed a foot inside the cave. Suddenly, Michael's wings sprouted from his back and he caused his mighty sword to appear in his hand. He pointed the blade at the entrance. "Who are you!?"

Nathadian Ranger turned off the stealth shield. "I'm here for her! Prepare for a beatdown! Wat-watsaw!"

Nathadian Ranger sprinted forward and swung a fist. Michael slashed with his sword, causing Nathadian to roll to the side.

"Sheesh... I sure am rusty! Watsaaaaw!" Nathadian Ranger screamed, becoming a red blur and slamming into Michael.

Michael roared in anger due to the hit. "Whoever you are, prepare to meet your end!"

"Uh-oh..." Nathadian Ranger said as, from out of Michael's sword, a massive beam of White Energy blasted out and blasted the heavily armored ranger. Nathadian Ranger fell down, stomach first.

"You're too late... Soon, this young girl will be mine, and you cannot stop me!" Michael yelled in triumph. He then lifted up his sword and swung down on Nathadian Ranger's body.


	49. Part 0 - Chapter 25: The Queen Rises

**Chapter Twenty-Five: The Queen Rises**

Bansheera shot the Black Energy ball in her hand at Killian. He quickly ducked down narrowly dodged the attack. He then placed his hand on the ground and yelled, "Amaradon Demon Trap!"

"What!?" Bansheera screamed. She tried moving but found herself immobilized.

Killian laughed. "Before we came here, Rumple transferred a small bit of Amaradon power from Mary to me."

"How do you know about Demon Traps!?" Bansheera demanded.

Killian laughed. "On our way here, I explained to Rumple and Mary about you and your new Demon friends. Rumple then had the idea to have Mary use her Nathadian powers to read my memory of it, then perform a scan of you lot. He found out that you Demons have a wealth of weaknesses, actually! One of them is salt, for instance. And do you know what's funny? The water on this planet is very heavily contaminated with salt! So, in preparation coming here, Rumple teleported himself quickly to the shore of the supercontinent of this planet and 'blessed' the waters here so that the minute a Demon sets foot in those untamed waters, as much salt as possible will be attracted to the Demon and try to chemically bond with it, and since you lot are allergic... you can do the math, Love."

Bansheera reverted to her Human form and sneered. "Why are you telling me this!?"

"Gloating, really. There's nothing you can do." Killian said as he picked up the Power Egg Bansheera dropped and placed it back with the other egg. "Also, this blade? Converted through Nathadian Magic to be iron, which you are also allergic to. There's a whole list of things you Demons are weak to. Anyway, I need to head back up. I'm sure by now your army has been disabled by Rumple and all them. I'll be back with the others later to figure out what to do with you."

"Wait! Killian... please... don't leave me here..." Bansheera pleaded, coating her voice with as much feminine tone as she could muster.

Killian laughed briefly and shook his head as he looked to the floor. "You fooled me once before. I won't make that same mistake again." He then ran down the corridor, leaving the wailing Bansheera behind.

As Killian made it to the surface, he was shocked to see Rumple crippled onto the ground and Diabolico standing over Mary, about to blast her. He focused all he could into his hand and punched the ground, chanting "Amaradon Demon Trap" as he did. He watched the Anti-Magic ripple out of his hand and form under Diabolico, trapping him in place and turning off the Star Power he had stolen from Lije of the Dawn.

"What!?" Diabolico shouted in surprise.

As he did, Loki(D) turned his head to see what the problem was. Taking advantage of the slight distraction, Thor tossed Mjölnir at Loki(D), giving his step-brother, Loki, the opportunity to pounce on the creature that was unnaturally created out of him a short while before. This also gave Geki and his crew, mounted on their Dinosaurs, the opportunity to rush toward Goresakubo, who was beginning his assault to finish off Will.

Meanwhile, Yuna gripped her summoner's staff tightly. "I will defend you, Tidus."

"I'm a ghost. I'll be fine. Go find someplace to hide and save yourself. You, too, Rikku." Tidus implored.

Rikku shook her head. "I'm with Yuna. That Demon said that sword can destroy you. I'm standing here and making sure he can't get to you!"

Tidus went to argue, but stopped and smiled. He felt it an odd thing to do, especially given the battle ensuing around him, but he couldn't help himself. He knew he would have done the same had he been in their shoes. As odd as it was, he was extremely happy to feel as if he was cared for.

While this occurred, Rumple pulled himself to his feet. He coughed up some blood as he did.

"What's wrong!?" Belle screamed, looking at him.

Rumple shook his head. "It's nothing. I was just hit with a powerful dose of power from Lothor. I'll be okay. I think I have my footing now." He then turned and looked at Azazel, battling Alpha Warrior. He frowned as he saw Alpha Warrior get slashed across the chest with the sword Excelsior as Azazel blocked the Sword of Light using his three eyed scythe.

As Rumple transformed into the Dark One, Mary rolled out of the way of AM Dragon's dragoon lance, that had been aimed right at her heart. "David! Snap out of it!"

"There is no David here. Stop calling me that!" AM Dragon demanded. Every time he heard the name "David", his head began to hurt as the Black Energy within him tried blocking his mind from remembering his living self, just as Lilith, the Mother of Monsters, had programmed the Demonic DNA to do long ago.

Able to focus, Mary channeled the opposite of her Nathadian training into her being. "Amaradon Conversion: Amaradon Mage!"

AM Dragon scoffed as he saw the Amaradon black and blue robe appear over Mary. "Pathetic parlor tricks won't save you." He then tossed his dragoon lance at her live a javelin.

As Amaradon Mary dodged the attack, the Dark One teleported suddenly using his Zocato power to stand right behind Azazel. He then tapped him on the shoulder, saying, "Excuse me?"

"Huh!?" Azazel yelped, shocked someone snuck up on him as he was about to stab the fallen Alpha Warrior.

"Look down. He-hahaha!" The Dark One giggled happily, pointing at Azazel's feet.

Instead of looking, Azazel swung Excelsior at the Dark One. What irritated him most was how the Dark One stood, unflinching. As the sword approached its downward arc, what felt like a wall stopped it. "What?!"

The Dark One giggled and threw his hands up, as if to present his accomplishment. "I _told_ you to look. Hehehe! It's a Demon Trap! Haha! Oh, and I'll take that."

Azazel was speechless as the Dark One snapped his fingers, using his vast knowledge of Zocato power to teleport Excelsior out of Azazel's hands. "What sort of sorcery is this!?"

" _My_ sorcery!" The Dark One exclaimed. He then tossed Excelsior to the shimmering Spirit that was Tidus, who was still being huddled by Rikku and Yuna, ever vigilant for him.

Tidus smiled, extending his ghost-like arm. "Thanks." He grasped the sword and, as he did, he felt himself materialize.

Yuna instantly turned back and accomplished the hug she had initiated when he was unincorporated. "Welcome back!"

Rikku tossed a dagger into the air and then caught it. "Okay. Now it's time to attack!" She rushed forward and tossed a dagger at AM Dragon's back.

"Ahhh!" AM Dragon shouted as the unsuspecting attack caused the blade to plunge into the most medial portion of his latissimus dorsi.

As he cried out, Amaradon Mary tapped into her Zocato power and shouted, "Demon Trap!"

Yanking the blade out of his body, AM Dragon found himself suddenly trapped. "You will pay for this, woman!"

Meanwhile, the Dark One turned to see Loki and Loki(D) battling it out as Thor knocked the bazooka out of his hands. He then laughed as he saw Loki(D) attempt to become a Demon Cloud. "I don't think so! Demon Trap!"

As the Demon Trap appeared under Loki(D), mid-transformation into a Demon Cloud, he rematerialized. "No!"

Thor and Loki then gave each other high fives. "Good job!"

Suddenly, however, a roar erupted from the T-Rex Geki was riding upon. The fighters watched in horror as Geki was thrown off and hit the ground hard.

"Ah! I think I broke my arm!" Geki screamed as Dan and Goushi ran to his side. Mei and Boi directed the other Dinosaurs to turn and face the T-Rex.

"What's wrong!?" Amaradon Mary shouted.

"It's the T-Rex! That Demon became some sort of black cloud and went inside of him!" Mei shouted.

Boi nodded. "And now his eyes are black! I think it possessed the tyrannosaur!"

"Sentinel Knight power!" Tidus cried out, gripping Excelsior. As he ran forward, he was clad in his orange armor.

Before he could attack the T-Rex, though, almost simultaneously Amaradon Mary and the Dark One shouted out, "Demon Trap!"

"Oh..." Sentinel Knight said, stopping. As he did, Alpha Warrior limped over as well.

"What is this? The Demon Trap works even when they are in another body?" Alpha Warrior asked.

"Most definitely! What's great is they cannot escape their chosen vessel in the trap! Eh-haha!" The Dark One exclaimed, hopping in place in excitement as the sun shined on his golden scales that came with becoming the Dark One.

Amaradon Mary sighed. "But... We _do_ want the Demon out of there. Hmm... Amaradon Scan!"

The group watched in fascination as Amaradon Mary began to glow in a black and blue cloud during her scan. She then stopped and looked at the Dark One. "I have a way to take out the Demon. It's some sort of chant programmed into their DNA that is a failsafe, to rip them out of their host. I guess whoever made these beasts wanted a way to control them."

"Well... What are you waiting for, Dearie!? Go on now!" The Dark One demanded. Realizing he was becoming too engrossed in his powerful form and losing his actual consciousness, he "demorphed" and once again became his true self: Rumple.

Baelfire, shaking his head and nursing a blow to the head, stepped forward. "Nice to see you back to normal, Dad. Ugh... What did I miss?"

"Nothing much." Rumple stated sarcastically. "Just an epic battle, the destruction of Lothor, and the capture of all of these Demons. Oh, and apparently Mary is about to perform some sort of exorcism."

Baelfire laughed. "Oh, is that all?"

Will sneered, gripping his sword as he didn't break eye contact with the T-Rex. "No, that's _not_ all. That beast destroyed my Ana! As soon as Mary rips him out of that body, I'm going make sure he pays!"

Baelfire's eyes grew wide. He looked around, seeing his wife, Emma, who also had just awoken, tending to the unconscious Jor and App. His gaze then fell upon the lifeless body of Will's wife, Anastasia. A circle of blood was on her chest as she lay in a pool of her own blood that was being absorbed by the sand on the Great City's sand covered cobblestone floor.

"I am so sorry..." Baelfire said.

Will shook his head. "Don't be sorry. Just don't stand in my way."

Rumple put up a hand and shook his head. "Leave him be, Bae. Now, where is Emma?"

Baelfire pointed back. "She's nursing the wounded. Uh... Did anyone else fall?"

"Well, it appears as if David has become a Demon. We'll have Mary scan him next and see if we can free him of the curse." Rumple said.

At that, Killian stepped forward. "I found Regina down below. She was about to use one of those infernal Power Eggs, but I trapped her like we had planned. She, too, seems to be a Demon now. We can try and turn her back into a Human after we fix David."

Sentinel Knight then heard something behind him. He turned around to see Jakon, his back turned to the group. He heard him talking, but couldn't see anything. He then called out to him. "Jakon!? What are you doing?"

Jakon spun around. "Oh, Tidus... I was just planning over here. Oh... It seems as if the fighting is over. Pity. I had a good plan to cause the Demons to fight each other."

Sentinel Knight laughed. "No pity at all! I'd rather things go down easily like this than have something bad happen... Well, worse." Sentinel Knight said as he demorphed, remembering how Anastasia had fallen and David had been Demonified.

Jakon nodded. Before he could say anything else, he heard Amaradon Mary begin chanting: "[I]Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica. Ergo, omnis legio diabolica, adjuramus te. Cessa decipere humanas creaturas, eisque æternæ perditionìs venenum propinare. Vade, satana, inventor et magister omnis fallaciæ, hostis humanæ salutis!"

At the final word, the T-Rex within the Demon Trap yelled as a massive black Demon Cloud erupted from the mighty dino's maw. Will, Rikku, Yuna, and Baelfire had to leap out of the way as the unconscious body fell to the floor.

They all watched as Goresakubo materialized within the bounds of the trap. "Let me out! No!"

Thor looked around, nodding in approval. "Your powers are quite remarkable. Not only did you lot cause Lothor's destruction, but you also captured the rest of the main army belonging to Beelzebub.,

Loki nodded. "This is a grand day, indeed."

"Now, we will return to our base, the great Atlantis, and tell Poseidon what has occurred here and let him know the threat has been dissolved." Thor explained, looking to Tidus and Rumple, probably correctly assuming the two to be leading two of the groups.

Geki, nursing his broken arm, nodded. "It is always a pleasure to fight alongside the High Ones. Tell Odin we said 'hello'."

"Will do." Thor said. Swinging Mjölnir, he flew up into the sky. Giving one last dirty look to Loki(D), Loki pointed his staff up and flew away, as well.

Mei looked at the various Dinosaurs gathering around their fallen brother, the T-Rex, and then at the Dino Guardians helping Geki. Turning to Tidus, she extended her hand. "Thank you for all you have done. We know the Dinosaurs of this planet are now safe, thanks to all of your efforts."

Tidus accepted the handshake and nodded. "I'm glad you guys were here. Thanks for landing the final blow on Lothor. He kinda... destroyed me there for a minute... hehe..."

Mei smiled and ran to help the others as they approached the city's exit.

Dan could be heard saying as they left, "By the way... did you all notice the Dinoman that was with Lije of the Dawn? Was that the wimpy Dinoman Gruumm!?"

Rumple placed a hand on Will's shoulder, sensing he was getting ready to attack Goresakubo. "Wait, my boy. Your chance will come. We don't want you accidentally breaking the Demon Trap and letting him escape to bring backup, now do we?"

Will grunted. "Fine. But after Mary takes care of David and Regina, I want to slay that filthy beast."

"Go ahead and try it." Goresakubo snorted.

Will pointed threateningly as he and Rumple made their way to AM Dragon and Amaradon Mary. They watched as App, Jor, Belle, and Emma joined as well.

Emma looked at AM Dragon. "Don't worry, Dad... we'll get you back."

"Don't be foolish." AM Dragon said. "You won't defeat me."

Amaradon Mary sighed. "Okay... beginning the scan..."

"Agh! Nooo!" Rumple screamed as doubled over in pain.

"What's wrong!?" Alpha Warrior demanded. He pulled up the Sword of Light and looked around for an unseen attacker.

"What is it, Honey!?" Belle screamed, leaving Jor's side and bending down to look at her husband.

"No! Get away!" Rumple screamed.

"Huh!?" Belle asked in confusion.

"What's happening!?" Emma cried out.

Before anyone could react, Rumple reached up and thrust his hand into Belle's chest cavity. As everyone screamed in shock, Rumple "magically" ripped out Belle's heart from her chest. Belle fell to her knees, staring at Rumple in shock.

"No... please no!" Rumple screamed as he held what looked like an oblong red crystal in his hands. The crystal was Belle's heart.

"Sentinel Knight power!" Tidus yelled, morphing to Sentinel Knight.

As he was to jump on Rumple, the sorcerer lifted up a hand and shook his head. "No! One step closer and I'll crush her heart!"

"What the heck is this!?" Jor yelled.

Jakon squinted his eyes as he studied Rumple. "He seems to be under control from some external entity..."

"No..." Emma said, looking to Baelfire and Mary.

"The Dark One's Dagger..." Will said, sneering.

As he did, Rumple lifted up his arm, palm facing up. In conjunction with the arm moving up, a large chunk of the cobblestone floor erupted, creating a hole. Repeating the motion, Rumple lifted a pillar up from the bottom floor. In the middle of the pillar was Bansheera, holding the Dark Dagger.

"How!?" Rumple said, one hand still holding Belle's heart as the other lowered to his side against his will.

"You're such a fool, Rumple. You thought you could hide this from me? This dagger emanates so much Zocato power! In this universe, where no one uses this power, it was quite easy to find." Bansheera said, laughing. "I had previously cast a spell over a small avian animal on this planet and caused it to go out and find this. Luckily, it happened upon it while I was locked down there! Haha!"

"What is this Dagger?" App asked, clenching a fist.

Baelfire sighed, not taking his anger filled eyes off Bansheera. "Years ago, my father was trying to gain power for a war he was to fight in. He was tricked by a man into accepting this curse, to become the Dark One."

A tear rolled down Rumple's cheek. "Don't sugarcoat it! I was greedy! Zoso knew I would fall for his trap because of my Orange avarice! All of this is my fault! Had I not done what I did, Lothor would never have gotten his power, he would have never destroyed our universe, Henry would be alive and we'd all be happy!"

Bansheera laughed again. "Right you are... And to show you all what power I now have over Rumple..."

"No! No!" Rumple screamed. He slowly began began to crush the heart in his palm.

"Ahhh!" Will, Emma, App, Amaradon Mary, Sentinel Knight, and Alpha Warrior screamed as they all raced forward to stop Rumple. Due to her connection to the Zocato power at that moment, the attack left Mary completely comatose.

Before they could, Rumple was forced to put up a hand and yell, "Zocato!" They were all hit hard, though Sentinel Knight was the only one to remain standing.

Before Sentinel Knight could re-attempt his attack, Rumple blasted him with a second Zocato blast. All the while, he continued to crush Belle's heart.

Belle clutched her chest and screamed in pain. Suddenly, she got up and stared at Rumple In the face. Anger was written in her expression as she slapped him. "You selfish man! I am dying and it is all your fault! I hate you and always will!"

"Stop this!" Rumple demanded, still slowly crushing the heart while crying. As pieces of her crystallized heart fell, it turned to dust.

"What is Belle doing!?" Will demanded.

Emma answered, tears streaming as she watched helplessly. "When someone rips out another's heart, they become a Heartless. Whoever holds their heart controls that person. Rumple is holding Belle's heart, so he controls her..."

"And since Regina is controlling _him_ ," Baelfire said. "She also controls Belle. Regina is forcing Belle to do this before he finishes crushing her heart."

"You're a monster!" Jor screamed at Bansheera.

"Yes. I am." Bansheera said, laughing.

"I never loved you!" Belle screamed. Belle then put her hand around Rumple's hand that held her heart. She then began closing her hand, crushing her own heart along with Rumple.

"No! No-ho-ooooh!" Rumple sobbed. Then he felt it: the final crunch of Belle's heart.

As she fell to her back, she screamed: "I love you!"

Rumple screamed in anguish as Belle fell, lifeless. "I'll destroy you, Regina!"

"The name's Bansheera now, Honey." She replied. "Now, be a doll and let me out of here."

As soon as it was said, Rumple flicked a wrist and broke the Demon Trap. Bansheera then caused him to float her down to the ground on a Zocato made cloud.

"Much better." She remarked, laughing. She then looked at Rumple and sneered. "You know... everytime I look at you, I remember my old life. I don't like it. I think it is time you became something more... demonic."

"Dad!" Baelfire shouted. Before he could lunge forward, Bansheera hit him with a ball of Black Energy.

"Get away from him!" Killian shouted.

Sneering at her former love interest, Bansheera shot another ball of Black Energy at him as well. He blocked it with his iron bladed sword and pointed his hand, shouting: "Amaradon Demon Trap!"

At that, Rumple shot a Zocato blast that blocked the spell and hit Killian simultaneously, leaving him crippled on the floor. At the same time, Alpha Warrior and Sentinel Knight converged on Bansheera. As they went to hit her, she became a Demon Cloud and appeared atop a wall that served as a walkway between towers.

Rumple then screamed in pain as Bansheera injected Black Energy into the Dark Dagger. Everyone turned, stunned to see Black Energy envelop Rumple. The once mighty sorcerer cried out in agony as he slowly turned into the Dark One. From there, his gold scales became a white, rubbery color. His nose elongated and his hair began to stick together, going up to form twin horns. An oversized pair of spectacles appeared on his face, as his hands doubled in size before having comical looking gloves form over them. A ridiculous long and thin mustache popped up on his face as what appeared to be the image of a fly's face popped up on the top of the front of his suit jacket, directly under his neck. A pair of large fly wings plopped out of his back.

"Rumple! No!" Emma cried out.

Yuna shook her head in disgust as she bent over Sentinel Knight and Alpha Warrior. "What did she do to him!?"

Rikku sneered. "She Demonified him..."

The being who had once been Rumple laughed. "I am Jinxer, loyal to my queen, Bansheera! What do you wish of me!?"

"Dude, we gotta do something!" Jor said to Jakon as they helped App up.

Jakon laughed incredulously. "What? They are some sort of Spirit! We can't harm them! Leave it to those super powered ones."

"We can't just sit around and do nothing!" Jor demanded.

As they argued, Bansheera said to Jinxer, "First, I want you to release my Demon followers."

Jinxer then laughed. He waved a hand and shot a blast of Zocato power at Diabolico, AM Dragon, and Loki(D), destroying their Demon Traps.

"Thank you, Bansheera." Diabolico said, bowing to her. Loki(D) did likewise.

"Well? Release Goresakubo, Azazel." Bansheera ordered.

"But, my queen... I overheard them! They side with Beelzebub and not you!" Jinxer reported.

"It is true... my _queen_." Diabolico replied, hating but feeling obligated to call her queen.

"Is that right?" Bansheera asked. She then laughed. "Fine then." She held up the Dark Dagger, causing it to glow in an eerie black light.

Jinxer shot out a Zocato blast. It flew to Lothor's former room and wrapped around the golden chest in his room. It lifted up, dropping any contents that were left within, and floated to the main foyer.

Bansheera laughed. "You fools think Beelzebub is your master!? Fine! I hope you like your time in that box!"

Black Energy wrapped around the Demons. Breaking the Demon Trap, Bansheera and Jinxer together forced Goresakubo and Azazel into Demon Clouds.

"Long live Beelzebub!" Azazel roared.

As the two were lowered into the golden chest, Bansheera laughed. "No... long live the Queen."

Jinxer caused a Demon Trap to appear on the inside of the chest's lid. "Now what, my Queen!?"

"We rid ourselves of the vermin..." Bansheera stated, pointing to the heroes below her.

"Yuna! Summon your Animal Spirits!" Rikku demanded, looking on as the Demons began to turn to face them.

"I can't! I may have enough energy to only summon one, but even then I'm afraid the Demons will possess one of them, and then we'd be in _real_ trouble!" Yuna cried out.

Sentinel Knight sneered. "I _have_ to keep going... Ah!" He screamed as he lifted up onto his feet.

Alpha Warrior clutched the Sword of Light tightly as he, too, forced himself up. "I don't know who any of you people are, but I will defeat the forces of evil with all my might!"

Sentinel Knight stopped at that remark and looked at Alpha Warrior in shock. Before he could question the statement, Alpha Warrior sprinted forward and slashed at Loki(D). So much Anti-Morphing and Morphing Energy revolved around him, after catching a "second wind", that the blast from Loki(D)'s bazooka did not affect him. Simultaneously, Sentinel Knight cried out as a blast erupted from him, sailing toward Diabolico.

"Star Power!" Diabolico shouted. His blast erupted through the air, causing chunks of cobblestone to fly up as it created a riveted path along its trail. The two blasts exploded as they hit each other.

"Haha! Destroy them!" Bansheera demanded. As she did, though, AM Dragon descended from the sky, having just leapt up. He performed a signature dragoon attack on Bansheera, catching her off-guard.

"Ahh!" Bansheera screamed. Luckily for her, Jinxer was able to block the attack with a well timed Zocato blast.

"Long live Beelzebub!" AM Dragon shouted. He sneered as he attempted to hit Jinxer, but was foiled yet another time by a shield of Morphing Energy conjured up by the former Dark One.

"You'll be placed in that box like the others!" Bansheera shouted in disgust. Not only was she upset that there was yet another Demon with allegiance to Beelzebub, the Alpha Demon, but she also was sick and tired of David, in whichever form he was in, to be messing with her plans. Clutching the Dark Dagger tightly, she and Jinxer blasted AM Dragon and turned him into a Demon Cloud. Within moments he, too, was trapped in the golden chest.

"Now, let's turn our focus on- oof!" Bansheera cried out. From seemingly out of nowhere, a recently awoken Goliath, the Alpha Gargoyle, swept down and hit Bansheera.

"For the freedom of all who crave justice!" Goliath cried out. As his fist was to meet Bansheera's face, she turned into a Demon Cloud. She tried possessing Goliath, but was blocked by the special protection Lilith had placed over all Alphas, allowing them unable to be possessed.

Alpha Warrior looked up, blocking another blast from Loki(D), and suddenly recognized Goliath. "Brother! Fly away and call upon your progeny! We need them!"

"Right, Auron!" Goliath shouted. He swiftly took to the skies, quickly becoming a dot as he traveled up to space. He unfortunately had no craft, so it would take him quite some time before he would be able to reach his people, or at least a craft that would be able to help him call out to his fellow Gargoyles.

Bansheera grunted. "Ugh! Is there anyone _else_ who wants a turn!?"

"I'm glad you asked!" She heard someone yell from outside the Great City. She rushed to the edge of the tower wall, becoming her Demon form as she screamed in frustration. Before she could see who was daring to attack her, she saw purple electricity climb up the side of the wall. As she was to summon Jinxer to save her, she felt the entire wall crumble. Within a few moments, she had fallen to the ground outside the Great City. Looking up, she saw Ivicar standing before her, having slipped out of the Great City to shoot her down with his Magic.

"Clever for me to attack from outside, is it not?" Ivicar asked.

"You!? I thought we destroyed you a while ago!" Bansheera shouted.

"Woo! Look at little miss temper tantrum! Haha! It looks like you were wrong!" Ivicar yelled, laughing.

"Since when did you become the jovial sort!?" Bansheera cried out, shooting a Nathadian blast at Ivicar seeing as she was no longer constrained by Ifrit's, the Alpha Djinn, wish that prevented Magic within the Great City.

A purple forcefield appeared around Ivicar, protecting him. "My mentor taught me to have _fun_ with the job."

Bansheera was shocked that he was able to block her attack. "What power is that!?"

Ivicar feigned a yawn. "You _bore_ me." He suddenly pulled out what appeared to be a long brass musical pipe. He played into it, causing more purple electricity to appear on his arm. He then pointed it at Bansheera and blasted her square in the chest.

"Ahh!" She screamed as she fell down.

Ivicar laughed. _Lothor's training is working... His manuscripts mentioned something about attaining a higher state... like his God of Magic form..._ Suddenly, an image of purple ooze filled his mind.

As Ivicar was about to pursue the thought, Jinxer appeared. "My queen! We must get you out of here!"

"Agreed! Until next time, Ivicar." Bansheera sneered. She reverted to her Human form and snapped a finger. She disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. Jinxer shot a Nathadian blast at Ivicar before disappearing himself, taking the golden chest with him.

Diabolico hit Sentinel Knight in the chest with his elbow. "Loki(D)! We must head out after Bansheera!"

"Right!" Loki(D) yelled, becoming a Demon Cloud as Alpha Warrior swiped and missed.

Before Diabolico himself vanished, he turned and shot a Star Blast at Sentinel Knight.

Watching the attack sail forward, Sentinel Knight suddenly felt something within him. As if by instinct, he yelled, "Corona Blast!"

Diabolico watched in shock as he watched a massive fireball of orange electricity emerge from Sentinel Knight, completely obliterating the Star Blast. Diabolico tried becoming a Demon Cloud to escape the blast, but was still partially hit by the Corona Blast.

Flying out of the Great City, Diabolico's Demon Cloud swung about chaotically. Fortunately for him, Jinxer locked onto his Demon Cloud and teleported him to where he and the other Demons were. Reforming, Diabolico looked around and saw Jinxer, Loki(D), and Queen Bansheera. Under one of her feet was the golden chest.

"They escaped us, Queen Bansheera. Forgive me for my insolence!" Jinxer pleaded.

Bansheera sighed. "It is not your fault. We were outnumbered and they had great power. We did what we could."

"What do we do now?" Loki(D) asked.

"Hmm... I believe we should wait." Bansheera said, laughing.

"Wait!? But we should attack!" Diabolico demanded.

"All in good time. All in good time. Listen: Beelzebub left many of your... _our_... brothers and sisters scattered throughout the universe. I say we go out and find them, amass an army against Tidus and those who fight with him." Bansheera said, smiling as she thought thought of her plan.

"Many Demons will be extremely loyal to Beelzebub, though." Diabolico pointed out.

Bansheera pointed at the golden box. "That's why we have this. The Demons will either follow me or stay in this box. I will then infuse this box with my power, and those within this box will slowly have their minds taken from them. They will slowly become my henchmen, whether they like it or not!"

"I like it!" Loki(D) exclaimed.

"Beautifully crafted!" Jinxer said happily.

Diabolico stopped and considered, then looked at the golden chest. "I see the wisdom in this. I will follow you."

"Fantastic! Let Project White Genesis begin!" Bansheera cried out. She then thought, _And soon, my son Henry will be mine!_

Meanwhile, back at the Great City, the surviving warriors were licking their wounds and mourning their losses. Emma sadly found Mary, still unconscious under some rubble.

"Let her sleep..." Baelfire said.

"She did it. She took my dad. _Your_ dad..." Emma said.

Will approached as well, clenching his fist. "She took Anastasia. She took Belle."

"She's a monster. She is pure evil." Killian remarked. "She won't get away with this."

"We'll get her. I promise." Baelfire said. He knew that someday, Bansheera would pay.

As they spoke, Rikku and Yuna stood to the side, watching the Nathadians and Morphing Masters. Turning to Yuna, Rikku said: "What now, Yuna? We have no home."

Yuna looked at Sentinel Knight and smiled. "Yes we do. Here, with them."

Rikku looked at them and smiled. "Yeah... that feels right. Do you think we'll have an easy life with them?"

Looking around, Yuna pondered each of them: Balefire, the son of Rumple, a hero who needed rescuing; Emma, his wife and daughter of Nathadian royalty who _also_ was a prisoner of war to the Demons; Mary, Emma's mother. A powerful Nathadian mage who longed to save her husband; Will, a hot tempered fighter who vowed revenge for his recently lost spouse; Killian, a former villain who was betrayed and tricked into fighting for a cause not his own, for which action he wanted revenge; Tidus, also Sentinel Knight. A man who was thrust into a universal conflict who wished to do what he could protect those in danger; Auron, a mysterious man who seemed to know her father, with a vendetta against the Monsters of the universe; App, a loyal martial artist, who would give his life to protect the innocent; Jakon, an intelligent man with great natural power, ready to wield it for a cause he believed in; Jor, a talented whose good nature was a reflection of his commitment to the cause of justice; Ivicar, a powerful fighter whose power seemed to be rivaled only by his ability to strategize; Rikku, Yuna's cousin and, like Yuna herself, was a displaced person with no ties to anyone else. The two had lost their people and were the last of their kind.

In fact, either literally or symbolically, Yuna realized they all had that in common. Tidus was an orphan, Auron was one of the last Alphas, one group, the Nathadians, was the last of their entire universe, and the other were the last of the Morphing Masters.

Yuna laughed as she answered the question, shaking her head. "No, I don't think it will be easy. But I think it will be worth it, and we will be happy."

Meanwhile, Sentinel Knight demorphed. "Auron!"

Alpha Warrior turned and stared at Tidus. "How do you know me?"

App frowned. "Auron? What is wrong!?"

"I apologize. I don't know you and don't have time for you. I must head out and track down my Alpha brethren... and destroy them. I am the Alpha Hunter, and my task is to destroy all Monsters. Fare thee well." Alpha Hunter said boldly. Before anyone could react, he was covered in Anti-Morphing and Morphing Energy. He then teleported away.

"No!" Tidus screamed.

"He needs our help. Don't worry, Tidus. We'll get him back." Jor said.

As he did, Jakon and Ivicar approached from outside the Great City. Jakon pointed at Ivicar. "We seem to owe Ivicar our lives."

Ivicar shook his head solemnly. "Oh, no. I just did my best to help."

App patted him on the shoulder. "Either way... thank you."

"What now?" Jor asked, looking around.

"Ivicar and I were speaking about it and we think we came up with an idea..." Jakon said.

"Yes. Why don't we keep up with the tradition of the Morphing Masters, but do it the way we thought it was supposed to happen." Ivicar proposed.

"That'd be cool..." Jor said.

Tidus considered it. "Well... There are many villains out there, _and_ Bansheera is sure to attack again. But we would need to recruit more people."

"And select a new Top Three." Jakon added.

"I'm in agreement." App said.

"So... who will lead us?" Jor asked.

"I propose the strongest of us: Tidus." Ivicar said, hoping to get on Tidus' good side.

"What? But-"

"I agree." Jakon piped in.

"As do I." Said App.

Jor laughed and placed a hand on Tidus' shoulder. "I guess you're it, fearless leader. Hehe... I feel this is the start of a long, beautiful friendship!"

Tidus sighed. "Okay, well... let's plan, I guess..."

Ivicar looked on and laughed within himself. _Master Lothor told me to keep my apprenticeship a secret. Tidus is strong... I have to play the slow game with him. I don't know how, but I_ _will_ _take the Corona Aurora from him, and alongside Lothor, I will rule the universe!_

Meanwhile, as the others followed him while they walked towards the Nathadians, Tidus thought, _Oh, boy. Can I do this? Am I capable of leading the Morphing Masters? Will I be strong enough to stop Bansheera?_

 _You know what? It's all about attitude... I need to have the willpower, and from there, I will become the man the universe needs me to be. Fate put me in the path of the Corona Aurora for a reason, and I'm going to do all I can to honor this appointment. It's all about_ _attitude_ _... hehe... I should make an acronym of that... one that illustrates what is needed to be a mighty warrior. One that explains who I want to be. Who I am from this point onward._

 _I am the son of Jecht. I am a fighter. I am a leader. I am Tidus. I am Sentinel Knight._


	50. Part 3 - Chapter 25: Like Whiteout

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Like Whiteout**

Doc stared at Robo Knight. He could see a large rip under the Robot's right arm. "How long has it been like this?"

"I sustained damage from Cyclopsis when assisting the Dragonzord. The more I battled, the worse it became." Robo Knight explained.

"I made Robo Knight from schematics I find from Zordon's tech books centuries ago. As I was mostly miming what was on the page, I don't have the technical ability to repair this wound." Gosei said.

Doc nodded. "The circuitry is very complex. It's going to take me quite a long time to learn how it is all connected. Robo Knight will probably shut down before I can figure it out."

Robo Knight promptly straightened up at that. "I don't want to lose my life over this. I want to live."

Doc quirked his head back. "Oh, really? 'You want to live'? Gosei... how exactly did you make this guy?"

"I did it using Zordon's robotic schematics from Lightning Cruiser and Storm Blaster." Gosei explained.

"That explains it. Those vehicles were designed by Zordon to have the capacity to learn and learn. They were the most advanced in artificial intelligence the Alliance had ever seen!" Doc said, rubbing the white lab coat he was wearing. "I remember reading Zordon's preliminary research and findings on the subject. So... this is what it brings. Hmm... It sounds and acts as if it is alive!"

Robo Knight, who had been sitting on the side of an examiner's table, dropped down to his feet. He brought his face to Doc's and said, "I _am_ alive, Doctor Goier. And I am not an 'it'. I am a male."

Doc looked from Robo Knight, to Gosei, to Notrom, who was in the back of the lab. Notrom shrugged. "My specialty is Key Magic. Don't look at _me_."

Doc furrowed his brow. He then lifted up his hand. It began to shine with White Energy. It erupted from his hand and danced around Robo Knight. Doc gasped and took a step back. "It's true... you _are_ alive..."

Robo Knight nodded. "Correct."

"How did you do this, Gosei!? This is incredible!" Doc said.

"Let me see." Zordon could be heard saying. The group spun around and saw Alpha 4 walk in. In one hand he had the small monitor the crew used to carry around for Dimitria, now tuned to the frequency at which Zordon's dimension was transmitting.

Doc nodded. "Let me explain what's been happening since you weren't here. Robo Knight-"

"I overheard when I asked Alpha to patch me into the the camera feed from this room. When I heard that he was alive, I knew I needed to come over and see this while also being able to speaking to you all." Zordon said.

As Zordon stared ahead at the floating image of the lab, Saba said, "Is this supposed to happen? Do you suppose Lightning Blaster and Storm Cruiser are alive?"

Turning his head, causing the others to not see or hear him, Zordon said, "It's Storm Blaster and Lightning Cruiser, actually, but, yeah... I suppose. I'm going to check something..."

"What do you wish to speak with us about?" Gosei asked.

Zordon calmly looked to each of them, the white floating mass resembling his head floating in the monitor. "Alpha? Run a scan on Robo Knight."

Zordon watched the scan that Alpha conducted. All of the reading began scrolling across the hologram of the lab, as if the hologram were a computer screen and the data was being overlaid atop the feed of Doc and the others in the lab. As the numbers poured in, Zordon commenced a Meledon Scan. Large spikes of White Energy erupted in his mind. Suddenly, the pieces of information rearranged themselves in his mind.

"I know what has happened here." Zordon said.

Doc pulled out a pen and paper. "Please, go on."

"I seem to have always had a deep connection to the White Energy portion of what is called the Emotional Spectrum. This spectrum consists of colors representing different emotions we see in the living. At the end of each spectrum we find the White Energy, Life, and the Black Energy, Death. Since I have a deep connection to the White Energy, it seems that I subconsciously programmed certain algorithms into the A.I. causing the learning to expand. From my scans, it seems that if there is great love for the A.I., then this Love, or Violet Energy, interacts with the A.I. and allows it to tap into White Energy, giving it life. The way my algorithms meet to do such a thing is lightyears beyond my understanding. I could not repeat this purposefully." Zordon said, looking around the room.

"Zordon... you're amazing." Gosei said, breaking the awkward silence.

"And the king of _deus ex machina_ s." Doc said.

"What is that?" Robo Knight asked.

"Oh, umm... well, it's the ability to pull out convenient explanations and solutions and stuff from seemingly out of nowhere. Zordon seems to do it all the time, like that's what he was placed in life to do." Doc explained.

Zordon tilted his head and whispered to Saba, "Is that true?"

Saba shrugged. "It _does_ happen with you quite a lot."

Robo Knight shook his head. "I do not understand. Zordon did not just make up that explanation. It seemed to be a mix of advanced physics and supernatural forces meeting, causing the explanation. How could he have just made it up out of convenience?"

Doc laughed. "No... I'm not saying that's what he does. It just seems that way from any person looking from the outside in. I mean, when I first officially met Zordon during the M51 War against Master Vile, I was amazed by all of the cool gadgets Zordon seemed to make whenever a situation called for it. Then when we met up with him months later on Liaria, he suddenly just became a super powered Red Ranger and had the answers for beating the mysterious Demons, who we had just encountered. Another time was just recently when we found out some entity had been possessing Marvelous for hundreds of years, we thought this thing was going to rip us apart but in comes Zordon. He just chants some spell and within moments, the thing escapes Marvelous' body and escapes. I mean... those are just _some_ examples."

Robo Knight shook his head again. "I still do not agree. All of those situations were founded in logic."

Zordon chuckled. "Regardless of this fun conversation, the fact remains that Robo Knight needs to be fixed."

Gosei smiled. "Can you conjure up any explanations on how to fix him?"

Zordon heard everyone minus Robo Knight snicker, including Saba. He rolled his eyes and commenced a Meledon Scan.

As he was scanning, Doc looked Robo Knight up and down and said, "Well, since he's a machine, he's still programmable. And I know my way around machines. I only went into medicine because Masters Orion and Michael from the Morphing Masters said that was where I was needed. Since he's also alive, I can use my Gaia Ranger White Energy powers to perhaps fuse the two together."

Taking that idea into account, Zordon's impressions were taken in a different direction. Smiling, he said, "Dr. Goier? That is an excellent idea. You can create a morpher harnessing the same energy as the Power Cards for Robo Knight, with his own Power Card. This will allow him to connect to the Morphing Grid and give him a stronger power while he is being fixed."

"I do not understand." Robo Knight said. "Why not put this effort into just fixing me?"

"Because your circuits are very complex. Now that you are alive, it is more dangerous to work on you. Any wrong move, or crossing of wires incorrectly, could end your sentience." Zordon said.

"Can you not just do a Meledon Scan and learn how to connect him properly?" Gosei asked sincerely.

"I hadn't thought of that..." Zordon said sheepishly. Scanning Robo Knight, Zordon frowned. "Well, it's worse than we thought. The only thing keeping you living is your White Energy, but it is slowly seeping out of you. Your circuitry is compromised. If we go the route of a morpher, though, your Power Card can harness your Spirit, regardless of the damage to your body, since your Spirit resides in White Energy, which Power Cards hold."

"Wait, what?" Gosei asked. His head was spinning.

"Do not worry, Gosei. I understand. Dr. Goier, are you able to work on a morpher for me, based on your Gaia Ranger powers?" Robo Knight asked.

Doc nodded. "I'll give it my all, but... it will take a while. I don't know if I can get it done... in time."

Alpha 4 spoke up. "Going over the computers here, I have found a cryostasis pod. We could place Robo Knight in one and freeze him. Since he is inorganic, it should not affect his life."

"Brilliant, Alpha." Zordon said. "Gosei? Dr. Goier? Can you get Robo Knight prepped for cryostasis?"

Gosei nodded. "Yes. And Zordon?"

"Yes, Gosei?"

"Due to the recent events, and the Bio Mech Rangers attacking here, Notrom and I were concerned with the safety of the Ranger Keys. We were wanting to relocate them to a secret, secure facility." Gosei said.

"Yes, that is fine. Are you sure it is secure?" Zordon asked.

Gosei nodded. "Yes. It is off a beach in a cave. We are making the blueprints to make it a sort of base, similar to here. I am using my Earth powers to guard and protect it. It causes it to be heavily camouflaged."

"Go ahead then." Zordon said.

"Okay, then while Dr. Goier works on Robo Knight, Notrom and I will head out with the Ranger Keys." Gosei said.

"May the Power protect you." Zordon said as the duo walked out to collect the Ranger Keys. "And Robo Knight... if I don't see you again before you go into stasis, thank you for everything, especially with Trinity. I heard how you helped her when the Ancient City was under attack."

"Of course, Zordon. You are all my family." Robo Knight said.

"Until next we meet. Good luck to both you and Dr. Goier." Zordon said. He then directed Alpha 4 to walk him out of the room.

As they walked, Zordon said, "Alpha? Please make note that we must make it a goal to find the being known as Gokai Slayer. He is still at large."

"Yes, Zordon. Is that what you wish to work on at the moment?" Alpha 4 asked.

"No... right now I want to focus on finding my wife."

. . .

Bio Mech Silver looked at Deviot, who was busy doing calculations. "The tests are done. The Bio Mech Rangers are badly damaged, save for me and Bio Black."

"Shame. We'll need to think about either starting up a new team, reactivating the Psycho Rangers, or working on the Bio Mech team again." Deviot said, half focusing on Bio Silver.

Bio Silver frowned behind his helmet. "Are you not interested in what I have to say? In what Is happening?"

"I don't need to hold your hand, Silver. You're a genius. At least you were in your past life. I'm focused on this right now. I trust you with the Ranger project." Deviot said, doing some math.

"What are you doing, anyway?" Silver asked.

"I've been studying Cub and making notes. He is so much stronger than I could've hoped he would become. That doctor from the Cimmerian Planet did very well in executing everything. I mean, Cub has destroyed everything in his his path on that planet down there. There's almost nothing left alive!" Deviot said happily.

"Hmm... What are you going to use him for?" Silver asked.

Deviot shrugged. "No idea. But the possibilities are so intriguing to consider!"

Silver sighed. "Okay, then. Well, I guess I'll go figure out what to do with the rangers. Oh, and it seems like Bansheera was destroyed on Earth."

Deviot chuckled. "Saw that one coming a mile away. That's why I have been moonlighting for Dark Specter."

Bio Silver nodded and turned around. As he began to walk away, he stopped and cocked his head back toward Deviot without turning his body. "Who _was_ I before you gave me a new shot at life?"

Deviot laughed. "A man I used to work with when I was a Morphing Master. You were quite the genius. You were from the Karovan System. Your name was Michael."

Silver looked forward. "Hmm... Doesn't ring a bell." He then walked ahead, making his way to where the different deactivated rangers were being held. Try as he may, he could not remember who Master Michael was. The great hero he had once been.

. . .

Trinity scrunched her face up in confusion. "Um... I'm sorry, but I am fairly certain I'd know if I had a son. I mean... I'm the one who would have had to go through labor, unless there's something bizarre about Eltarian physiology I didn't know about."

Nathadian Ranger Zrin laughed. "No, it was definitely you. Years ago... centuries ago... you, Zordon, and the entire universe were under attack by a massive threat. This threat was a man by the name of Prime. He was trying to take advantage of the Time Anomaly that September had introduced into this timeline and use it like a virus throughout the multiverse. He wanted to cause something he called a 'Crisis Crunch'."

"Wait... who is September?" Trinity asked in confusion.

Nathadian Zrin nodded. "Recall that I'm only a projection of your mind. If you focus, you will know that all I know, you subconsciously know."

Suddenly, the image of a bald man with a kind face settled into Trinity's mind. "The former Watcher... Freelancers... I'm starting to remember..."

"You were pregnant at the time of the threat of Crisis, which September explained was code for his people meaning a consolidation of many universes into a singularity. At one point the situation had become dire and you were forced into battle. You were hit with Time Magic, causing your physiology, and pregnancy, to accelerate. Right on the battlefield, you had me. Within moments, I had aged a month. September was able to slow my progression, but it was draining to him and he was needed in battle.

"Although it was difficult, you and Zordon finally came up with a solution: send me to be with the Guardian. In the Hall of Legends, I would be able to grow normally due to the Trizyrium Crystals. You and Zordon vowed to get me back after Prime was defeated. What you didn't know, though, was that once you had stopped the Crisis Crunch from occurring, the process that undid the connections between universes involved caused your minds to be erased of the entire event, and since you only discovered your pregnancy after Prime had arrived, you never knew I existed." Nathadian Zrin said, ending with a sad tone in his calming voice.

"Wait... Why didn't the Guardian return you to us!?" Trinity demanded. She knew who Guardian was, having been told by Zordon about his meeting with him after being blasted by the Orb of Doom.

Nathadian Zrin shook his head. "Because you didn't remember, you didn't know to ask. Only he knows the answer to that. You must ask him."

"And... Why are you coming to me like this? Like the Nathadian Ranger?" Trinity asked.

Zrin laughed. "Because when I went to rescue you earlier from the Bio Mech Rangers, deep inside, you knew. When you heard my voice, there was something inside of you that knew it was me. A mother knows. I love you, Mom."

His image then vanished in a cloud of smoke. In his place, Zordon appeared, but as an old man. Beside him was the Wizard of Deception. On his left hand stood the Gold Ranger.

Gold Ranger stepped forward and laughed. "Long time no see, Trinity."

The deep voice spoke simultaneously with a voice that sounded like Tria's. The two sounds mixed together to sound monstrous. Trinity frowned. "Deviot."

The Fake Gold Ranger bowed. "At your service."

"Ancient source: Meledon force." Old man Zordon said, morphing into Meledon Ranger.

"It's time to meet your doom." The Wizard of Deception stated. He was brimming with Zocato power.

"Ninja Storm! Ranger form! Ha!" Trinity proclaimed. "Power of light! Hi-yah!"

Ninja Pink rushed forward and swung her blade at the Fake Gold Ranger, simultaneously blocking a kick from Meledon Ranger with her arm. She then flipped backwards and dodged a Zocato blast from the Wizard of Deception.

The trio grouped together and began laughing together. Fake Gold Ranger summoned his/her Power Staff and pointed it at Ninja Pink. Meledon Ranger pointed the tiger end of his saber at her, as well. The Wizard of Deception followed suit and aimed his wand with the others.

"Give up." The Wizard of Deception demanded.

"You're worthless. You can't win." The Fake Gold Ranger cried out.

"You thought you were a Morphing Master. How pathetic." Meledon Ranger said, shaking his head as if he felt bad for Ninja Pink.

Ninja Pink suddenly stopped. She felt calm. She placed her hands to her chest, he middle and index fingers pointing up on each hand as the rest of her fingers created a half first for each hand. Her Spirit began illuminating around her. Pink Morphing Energy surrounded her as well. "This is my mind... and in my mind... I _always_ win. Photon Blast!"

"Fire!" Meledon ordered.

Ninja Pink watched as the two blasts hit. Like in an ultimate show of will, the two forces began pushing against each other. Ninja Pink then clenched her teeth and poured everything she had into the attack, demorphing as she did. A mighty surge of power exploded from her. Then, everything went white.

All the while, Trinity's actual body was still strapped to a chair that Michael had stolen from a colony nearby. A few feet from the stolen chair housing the stolen woman, Michael swung his mighty blade. It sailed down and stabbed Nathadian Ranger.

Nathadian Ranger had been able to move, narrowly missing getting stabbed in the chest. Instead, the blade sunk into the ranger's shoulder.

"Ahhh!" Nathadian screamed. "Nathadian Blast!"

The red beam projected from the gem and blasted Michael hard. He flew backward and slammed into a cave wall. He grunted as he stood up. "You can't save her!"

"I can and will! Meledon Conversion: Black Battery! Now, Orion!"

Suddenly, a time vortex opened up. From out of it, an armored ranger extremely similar to Nathadian Ranger appeared. Identical, in fact, except for two things: for one, the gem in the chest was black; second, the armor was red and not black.

Orion, in his ranger armor, cracked his neck. "Time to get to work!"

As he said this, Nathadian Ranger morphed into the Black Energy mode. Just as it was with Zordon and previous battery modes, the suit changed colors to correspond with the energy the mode it was reflecting. Since it was Black Energy, the suit color looked the same. The armor around the suit, however, melted away, becoming a form fitting suit reminiscent of other Power Rangers. An upside down triangle with lines emanating from it, housed within a circle, appeared over Nathadian's red gem, as the insignia for the Black Battery Mode. The helmet disappeared from Nathadian Ranger's head, with a black mask appearing over the eyes. Long brown hair flowed out, no longer suppressed by the helmet, but turned black to match the Black Energy. The face of person who had been using the Nathadian suit was unmistakable, even with the small mask over the eyes: it was Tria of Triforia.

"Nathadian Black Energy Blast!" Nathadian Tria declared. Massive orbs appeared on her hands. She then flung them at Michael, stunning his White Energy.

As he fell to a knee, Orion had a cloud of Zocato power appear around him. "Time to see what the Zocato Ranger can do!"

A Zocato blast shockwaved from him and beelined straight to Trinity. It wrapped itself around her and, being the magical virus that it was, broke the chains of the spell that kept her bound and trapped in her mind.

Michael laughed as he stood up. "Fools! I already told you that it's too late. Her mind is mine! Now, if you'll excuse me, I intercepted a transmission earlier from someone claiming there is an 'Angel Grove' here on this planet."

Without further ado, Michael shot Zocato Ranger with a White Energy Blast and flew past him, out the cave's mouth. As he flapped his majestic wings, he smiled to himself, thinking: _Everything is slowly falling into place, just as prophesied. It was said that the Holy War would take place in the 'grove of angels'. As I sat in the cave, I felt many long distance radio transmissions. What are the odds I intercept one speaking about a place here called "Angel Grove"!? Hehehe... Today is the day..._

Before long, he was at the coordinate given indicating the area where the Gaia Rangers had fallen. He was surprised to see it was the same location he had been in with them earlier, when he had struck down Queen Bansheera. He could still see the scorch marks around the environment from their battle.

Michael landed and shot a blast of White Energy up, converting it to a radio frequency to tap into the sender of the radio transmission. Alpha 4 picked up the "call". "This is Alpha 4. How may I help you?"

"I am the king of the Ethereals. My name is Michael and I wish to speak to Earth's leader."

"Umm... Zordon!? I think it's for you!"

Zordon appeared on his monitor from his dimension, grateful for the change in scenery. "This is Zordon. Who am I speaking to?"

"Michael, Ethereal King! Prophecy states that I must declare myself to the leader of Earth before I initiate the beginning of the end!"

Zordon cocked an eyebrow. "Excuse me? I thought Ethereals were on _our_ side based on reports I have gotten about your species."

Michael laughed. "I do this to ensure things play out as they are supposed to. To ensure that the correct order is in place in the universe. To do so, the Holy War will begin now! You must be in attendance!"

"I hope you forgive me for refusing the invitation. I apologize if this stops the 'Holy War' from occurring." Zordon said sarcastically.

Michael began laughing yet again. "If you do not come here now, I will destroy the woman I have captured!"

A knot formed in Zordon's stomach. "What woman?"

Saba frowned and clenched his paws into fists. "You don't think...!?"

"Come forth my servant!" Michael screamed.

Meanwhile back in the cave, as Nathadian Ranger: Death bent over to look at her sister who was still in a coma, Zocato Ranger folded his arms across his chest. "So... How is she?"

Nathadian: Death shook her head. "I have no clue. She should be awake already. I mean, I incapacitated Michael long enough to get him to disconnect from Trinity as you hit her with Zocato power... By the way, 'Zocato Ranger'? Really?"

Zocato Ranger shrugged. "Amaradon Ranger had already been taken. I didn't want to break up the naming scheme these rangers seem to have."

As he said this, Trinity's eyes suddenly opened. White Energy burst out from them and hit Nathadian Ranger: Death hard, throwing her back. The White Energy burned her Black Energy derived suit, causing her pain. Deciding it best, not only for her pain-wise but also for her reunion with Trinity, Tria demorphed.

Before Zocato Ranger could object to the decision, Tria stood up and said, "Trinity! Oh, how I've missed you!"

Trinity turned and looked at her as her eyes returned to their normal color. "I know of no Trinity. I now must go and serve my master."

To both their shock, Trinity rose up above the ground. Her signature Blaster Edge weapon appeared on her hand, but covered in feathers. Large, White Energy covered wings erupted from her back. Trinity then turned and blasted out at a blinding speed from the cave, en route to King Michael.

"What!? No! Trinity!" Tria screamed.

Zocato Ranger grabbed her by the shoulder and shook his head. "Tria! Are you crazy!? You can't stay here in this timeline demorphed! It'll deteriorate you!"

Tria rolled her eyes. "No it won't. I'm not _your_ Tria, remember? This _is_ my timeline!"

Zocato let go of her. "Oh, right..."

At this, Guardian chimed in. "Orion... Let Tria go. September and I have calculated some scenarios and because Tria _is_ of this timeline, her presence won't affect anything."

Zocato Ranger nodded. "Okay. Tria? Good luck and may the Power protect you."

Tria wore a determined look on her face. "I won't need luck. It's morphin' time!" Tria crouched and became the Nathadian Ranger once again. Nathadian Magic began to course through her as she jumped up toward the cave entrance.

Reaching a good height, she screamed, "Nathadian Conversion: Speed Force!"

Her body began vibrating rapidly as she blasted away in what seemed like a bolt of lightning. Zocato Ranger sighed as he saw he disappear into the distance in a flash.

"Will she be okay, Guardian?" Zocato Ranger asked as a time vortex appeared before him.

Before he disappeared into it, Guardian Ranger said, "I hope so. The probabilities are not predicting a happy ending, though..."

Trinity, with the head start, beat her sister to Angel Grove. Zordon's heart leapt up into his throat as he saw he land majestically. "No... NO!"

"So you know her, huh? Excellent! Now, I demand you come here now or I will destroy her!" Michael yelled, ending the transmission.

"Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi! What do we do, Zordon!?" Alpha 4 cried out.

"We have to do something!" Saba said in torment.

Zordon sneered, looking at Alpha 4 through his monitor. "Round up anyone you can and tell them to meet us in Angel Grove. It's time for war. He has my wife, and I'm getting her back."


	51. Part 0 - Chapter 26: The Temple

**Chapter Twenty-Six: The Temple**

 _Three Hundred Years Later..._

Jor shook his head. "No, I just think we need to ensure we aren't being greedy with the waters from Aquitar."

App shrugged. "I don't. Some of us have different physiological backgrounds. Take me for instance: my people can live for millions of years. We eventually move on when we get old, but our lives just seem to go on and on.

"People like you, though, don't. You're a Morphing Master, Jor, and we need you around. You're one of our founding members. The universe would be a dark place without you and your brother's ability to tap the Morphing Grid so masterfully."

Jor laughed. "Well... I don't know. I feel like I'm living past my time is all. I'm sure someone else would step up and be able to do much better than me within the Masters. Besides, you're still around and you were my teacher. I would've never been able to get as strong as I have without your training."

"I'm not thing to be humble when I say it had little to do with me. I only allowed you to become one with your inner self. From there, you and Jakon find your hidden potential. Your hidden abilities within the Morphing Grid." App said. He then have Jor a funny look. "What's bringing this on, anyway? It's been a few centuries since we started using the chemical formula the Nathadians planted on that water planet. Why now are you having second thoughts?"

"... Well... I wanted to lead a normal life, you know? When we first met you guys on Earth three hundred years ago, Jakon and I were just trying to help people who had gotten into a rut. At the time I think it was an orphanage or something like that. Anyway, I had told myself that after that, I was going to settle down. Relax. Live a life and go visit the family I'm sure Jakon would have had on the holidays, and vice-versa. After the whole Lothor thing, and Bansheera disappearing but causing little problems here and there... It seemed to escalate.

"If it wasn't shadows of Bansheera's empire, than it was Tycon doing something, or trying to help Sentinel Knight chase down Alpha Hunter, or some new threat popping up. Before I knew it, I'm three... _three_ hundred years older, and I don't seem to be in the place in my life to _ever_ have a family! I mean, even the one I have in Jakon has been breaking down as of late."

App nodded knowingly. "Ah. There it is."

"What? There's what?" Jor asked.

App laughed. "All of this 'I wanted a family all along' stuff was really hitting me hard. It felt like it was coming out of nowhere. I mean, I've been with you, your _friend_ forever, and this is the first I've heard or any of this. It made no sense, but then you mentioned Jakon. Yeah, Jor... he is your brother. You guys have been together for a very long time and... I know things have _changed_."

Jor scoffed. "You can say that again! He's been so distant. I'm really just... ticked off with him. It seemed to have at least _started_ when we became Morphing Masters, but... he has become moodier and more... jerkish. He hardly talks to me anymore, I mean... It's gotten to the point that we only see each other when you or SK calls for a meeting. Hmm... do you really think that is the reason why I've been family hungry?"

"Maybe not completely, but it is most definitely a contributing factor. Especially after you lost M'Lisa... You need your brother now more than ever." App said. He swallowed hard as he mentioned M'Lisa. He knew that was a touchy subject with Jor and he had expressly asked no one to mention it again after what happened to her, but he felt the situation was appropriate.

Jor flinched as he heard her name. He then breathed in and nodded. "You know what? You're right. When is the next meeting we're having?"

"Why wait? Go to him now." App suggested.

Jor stood up from his chair in App's personal office. "Ha. Like I know where he is."

"I do. Or at least I _can_. There are perks about being the number two man in the Morphing Masters. Haha." App said. He gestured for Jor to approach his side of his desk.

Looking over his shoulder, Jor watched App access Jakon's log for arrivals and departures from the planet the new crew of Morphing Masters had settled upon, called Onyx. Looking at the log, he was surprised as he glanced over the ship's history.

"Earth? Why has Jakon been going _there_?" App asked in confusion. "There's nothing worth noting. I mean, yeah the Power Eggs are in that chest we had the Venerated Ones cast off but... What else? I mean, it can't be for Mesogog and his campaign for the Dino Gems, because that is being handled by the Dino Guardians."

Jor shook his head. "I don't know, but... there's something wrong here. Every single mission for the past while, it looks like Jakon makes a stop on Earth."

"Yeah. According to the ship's log, he is there right now." App said.

Jor sighed. "Okay, then... I guess I'm going to Earth."

"Take my ship. It's faster. I want to make sure you get there before Jakon heads out." App said. He handed Jor his access card to the ship and wished him a good journey.

. . .

Jor stepped out of the sleek ship. He sighed as he took in a deep breath of Earthly air. It had been quite some time since he had set foot on the planet. For him, it felt like another lifetime when he had trained on Earth under the tutelage of Trueheart and App. He remembered his first encounter against Lije of the Dawn, when Lothor's crew had been caught up in a trap they had set to stop a smuggling ring being allegedly run by Mesogog.

He was surprised to find the location of the ship. It was parked directly outside the Ancient City, which was the name given to the city Lothor had once attempted to create as the base for the Morphing Masters. The city formerly known as the Great City.

Jor walked into the familiar place. Scars from battle were still seen etched across the walls and floor of the Ancient City. He frowned as he saw the scars from the last battle they had against Bansheera two hundred years earlier, which happened to also be the last confirmed sighting of the Queen Demon. She had attacked the Great City and had been able to secure from it the golden platform Lothor had once used to drain power from the Morphing Masters to create their Greater Power, which was later purified into the Greatest Treasure in the Universe. Jor could only guess what Bansheera wanted with it. He clenched his jaw in anger, remembering once again the irritation he had in himself for not being able to stop Bansheera from securing the platform.

As he continued his trek down memory lane, Jor suddenly heard something. Walking slowly, he rounded a corner and looked into an open door to a tower. He was shocked to see a face that he had not seen in quite a long time: Tycon. He watched in fascination as Tycon recited an incantation and created a portal in a wall, walking through it.

 _Impossible! The Ancient City can't do Magic! It hasn't been able to do that since Jakon made that wish!_ Jor noted, astounded. He tiptoed into the tower and approached the portal. As he did, he noticed something pass through him.

 _A force field, huh? It's made of Morphing Energy to boot! Wait... No, it's not Morphing Energy, but it kind of feels like it. Weird._ Jor thought. He could feel Dark Magic and Black Energy erupting from the portal. He jumped into it as it began to close, not wanting to lose Tycon.

 _Is Jakon doing some sort of surveillance here? Top secret missions? What is all of this?_ Jor pondered as he appeared in a structure. Before him, he saw a door with an odd face upon it. Pushing it open, he found himself in a room whose floor was surrounded in fog. The fog went up to his ankles, giving him the sinking feeling that at any moment, someone would either pop out and grab him, or attack head on.

Jor looked to his left as he heard someone say, "Meditation time is over. Get into your stances."

He looked on and was shocked to see Jakon standing in black robes, standing behind an area in the room surrounded by bars. Jor ducked down into the for and watched as Jakon spoke to the group of men and women. There appeared to be a total of twenty there, give or take a few. Jor sneered as Jakon stepped forward, standing beside Tycon.

 _What is this? Some sort of undercover stunt!? Why wouldn't he tell me!?_

"Everyone: focus on the Anti-Morphing Grid! Begin!" Jakon ordered.

"The _what_...?" Jor said quietly to himself.

"Soon, you will be ready to become my warriors of evil." Jakon said. "We will strike, using the Black and Yellow portions of the Emotional Spectrum as our weapons! We will strike down Bansheera, and Sentinel Knight, and all those who stand in the way of our rise to power. With these, the Badges of Darkness, six of you will rise up and be the captains of this group. You will master morphing with the Anti-Morphing Grid, and we will take down the Morphing Masters!"

Jor watched as Jakon turned to a table which had some candles lit. He grabbed a box atop the table and opened it, revealing six grey devices with what appeared to be some sort of crystals or jewels in them.

"With the Magic of The Master, our combined forces will be unstoppable!" Tycon shouted, thrusting his sword, the Fang of the Master, into the air as a rallying cry. His technique worked, causing the group to shout in response.

"It has been a long time coming..." Jakon said. "But now the time has finally come to have our plans fall into place. Finally, supreme power will be ours. We will no longer be confined to only practicing here within the Temple of Power. Now, our first objective will be to cause total destruction and chaos. We will need to strike the Morphing Masters quickly and decisively. Once that threat is cleared, we should have little to no problem destroying Bansheera's forces."

"When will we have our captains called!?" One student said eagerly.

Jakon looked at him and laughed. He walked to him and punched him in the face. "When I _say_ it is time. You're pathetic. I can hardly feel any Anti-Morphing Energy emanating from you, unlike the others here. You shouldn't be worried about captains. You're just lucky I didn't destroy you like I did the rest of your planet."

Jor stared closely at the humanoid. He saw that the man had a tattoo on his right arm that looked familiar. _Kouevn... What? Jakon was involved in the destruction of the planet of the Kouevn people? No!_

"Now! Stand with me as we receive more power from The Master!" Jakon yelled, turning to look at Tycon.

"The power of The Master is extreme! Fill yourselves with his power!" Tycon yelled. Even from the decent distance Jor had from him, he could he his robotic arm whirring and churning with each movement. Dark Magic poured out from the Fang of the Master into the students.

"Not so fast!" Someone yelled, bursting through the door Jor had slipped through earlier. It was a familiar sight, but given the circumstances made things feel even more escalated for Jor. It was the Alpha Hunter. Flanking his right and left sides were his main Hunters: Samuel and Dean.

"Sam! Take the left side!" Alpha Hunter proclaimed. "Dean? Stand back and ensure no stragglers escape."

Jakon laughed. "Long time no see, Alpha."

Alpha Hunter scoffed. "Jakon... How could you have sold your soul out to a _Monster_? One that deals in necromancy to boot?"

"Well, it was easy... I wanted power and he offered it." Jakon said, closing the box holding the Badges of Darkness.

"You're a Morphing Master, though. What more power do you want?" Alpha questioned, taking his steps toward the group slowly and deliberately.

"The power they offer is limited by rules, Alpha Warrior. Many of the ideas that Sentinel Knight has in place come from conversations he had with you, actually. He speaks about you from time to time, and quotes some of the things you counseled to him. About the importance of rules and whatnot. He is so... limiting! Because of what happened to you, also, he won't let us, the _Morphing_ Masters, tap into the Morphing Grid to become something like you: a god! You're nearly invincible!

"But Sentinel thinks that we will all go through the mind numbing process you did, losing your memories and whatnot. He fears what he can't control with rules, so he bans them. What he didn't know, though, was that you were a creation of not only the Morphing Grid, but also the _Anti_ -Morphing Grid, and that is what altered your mind for so long!" Jakon said, pacing back and forth. His students and Tycon seemed to getting more and more nervous, with Jakon's pacing making matters worse.

"Anti-Morphing Grid, hmm? I never bothered naming or figuring out a name for this other power I hold, but it fits. It does feel as if it is an opposing force to the Morphing Grid. My question is... why? What made it so appealing to you?" Alpha Warrior asked, trying to buy time as Dean did more than just "stay behind".

"It's like I said: it's not controlled by Sentinel Knight. If I tried to make warriors who tapped into the Morphing Grid, then I would draw attention to them by Sentinel Knight. With me, however, I am able to use my enhanced gifts and intellect to not only teach others to tap into the Anti-Morphing Grid, but also to create power regulators to control their morphs. The Badges of Darkness will allow my fighters to tap into the exact opposite powers of anyone they're fighting who has a tap to the Morphing Grid. App approaches one of my fighters? He uses the Badge of Darkness, taps into the Anti-Morphing Grid version of App's Morphing Energy and presto! App is powerless against my fighter, while the rest of his squad attacks App!" Jakon explained to Alpha Hunter.

Alpha shook his head yet again. "But why? Why align with Monsters!?"

"I know your beef is with them. Really, you don't need to worry about me and my band of fighters. We won't bother you. I know you want to rid the universe of Monsters and that's fine. That's your _thing_. I get it. So, go ahead and take a poke at Tycon. We'll let you get on with it." Jakon offered.

"You forget, Jakon. I am connected to the Anti-Morphing Grid just as much as you are. Probably more so. You see, I cannot allow you to bring that sort of negative energy into the universe. It will have drastic consequences of the environment. You will create a power struggle that will end up destroying everything. I am not a heartless hunter. Not anymore. My memories have been coming back to me slowly yet surely. I do care what happens to the universe. I have not come here solely to take down The Master's lackey. I have been monitoring you for some time now, and I have come here to end this operation before things progress more than they have." Alpha Hunter explained.

"Shame. I was going to really leave you alone. The whole 'man out for revenge' thing made you endearing to me. By the way, I'm not stupid. I know you have one of your assistants in the back over there attempting a spell to block the Morphing Grid down here, and the Anti-Morphing Grid. I already took precautions against that. I have just been stalling as one of _my_ pupils finishes his counterspell." Jakon said, pointing behind him to a girl who had drawn a symbol on a brass plate using some sort of paint or ink. "And the monologue? My followers haven't heard the entire plan, so I used the opportunity that I was buying time to explain to my group how exactly the plan would unfurl. But, without further ado, I will meet with you on your terms, Alpha Hunter." Jakon said. He then stepped forward and the gates to the fenced off area opened up for him.

"Your power is great, Jakon. Are you sure you want to use it for evil?" Alpha Hunter asked as Dean abandoned his spell and ran to meet with Sam.

"I'm in this for me. I don't want to be bored with the universe anymore. I want power. I want to feel free and to have fun. I want everything, and if I have to crush everyone in my path to get my happiness then so be it. If that is what I need to do then yes, I will use it for evil. Now, prepare to meet your doom. Power of the Ninja, envelop me!"

Jor, still hiding in the fog, watched as red armor appeared all over Jakon. He could feel the Anti-Morphing Energy emanating greatly from his brother as the armor hooked up to each different part of the entire suit. The suit had some sort of circular emblem on its chest, with gold trim on the body in different spots. As the suit fully appeared on, a helmet with a black visor shimmered into existence. A small gold triangle was on the helmet's forehead, directly above the visor. Under the visor was a silver plate in the shape of a pentagon, acting as if it were a mouthplate. On his back and a part of his armor, a sheath appeared. In the sheath was a long, golden sword.

"Impressive transformation, Jakon." Alpha said. The other Hunters surrounded him on either side, holding various weapons that Jor had seen to be specific weapons Hunters used to tackle certain tasks.

The Armored Jakon laughed and shook his head. "I have embraced the power of _Ninja_. Fully and completely. With this new power, I will take upon myself a new name, a name that will no longer be a symbol of the slavery I have had under Sentinel Knight's dictatorship. From now on, I am Ninjakon!"

Jor was still crouched in the fog. He hadn't noticed that both of his fists were clenched in a rage. _What is he doing!? He_ _has_ _to be trying to push this undercover stuff for Tycon's benefit, but... He's taking it too far._ Jor shook his head, hoping that Jakon truly was only putting on a show to Alpha Hunter. It made sense to Jor: Ever since he had become the Alpha Hunter, Auron had been standoffish and separate from the Morphing Masters, focusing solely on his vendetta against the surviving Alphas and those who followed them. It was actually news to Jor that Alpha Hunter had been slowly recovering his memories and wanting to help out with things outside of his Monster Hunting. Jor was praying that Alpha was not informed of Jakon's undercover stint, and was interrupting the operation unknowingly.

Alpha Hunter pulled out the Sword of Light. "Hee-yah!"

A shot of Anti-Morphing and Morphing Energy shot out of the sword, flying toward Ninjakon to take his power away.

"Witness the power of The Master!" Tycon yelled. He thrust the Fang of the Master forward and shot massive Black Energy around Ninjakon, protecting him from the hit.

"Attack them, my students!" Ninjakon ordered.

"Give us the Badges of Darkness!" One yelled out.

Ninjakon wagged his index finger while shaking his head. "No. The two Hunters do not use Morphing Energy, and I want you all to stay away from Alpha Hunter. He's mine."

As he said this, he unsheathed his golden blade and raced forward. The gates to his blocked off area opened automatically as he approached them. Swinging his sword, it clanged against the Sword of Light. Alpha Hunter then kicked Ninjakon in the chest, flipping away from him and landing, ready to fight.

"Sam! We need to break that spell around the big red guy!" Dean screamed as he blocked a punch from one of Ninjakon's students. He promptly fell to his knees, though, as he was pushed from behind.

"I'm kinda busy right now!" Sam yelled, punching one student across the face as he was tackled by three others.

"Power of Light!" Alpha Warrior yelled. He stabbed the ground beneath him, causing a surge of energy to erupt from the contact point and sail across the ground toward Ninjakon.

"Ha!" Ninjakon yelled. He Ninja Streaked to the side.

"What!?" Alpha Hunter yelled in surprise. Grunting, he swung his sword as if it were a baseball bat. The sword glowed with power as it was swung. At the end of the swing, a blast of Anti-Morphing and Morphing Energy flew out of the blade and toward Ninjakon.

"Nice try, _Auron_." Ninjakon said, vanishing in a cloud of smoke. He then appeared behind Alpha Hunter and slashed him multiple times in the back.

"Ahh!" Alpha Hunter yelled as he fell to the ground.

"Auron!" Dean yelled as he tried to break free of the fighters who had him wrapped up in their arms.

"Noooo!" Jor screamed, leaping forward out of the fog and landing atop Alpha Hunter.

"Jor!? What are you doing here!?" Ninjakon demanded, shocked. He stared as Jor used himself as a human shield over Alpha Hunter.

"I found out you were here on Earth. I then followed Tycon here found _this_!" Jor explained, anger on his face.

Ninjakon looked up and grunted as he stared at Tycon. "We'll talk about your incompetence later, Tycon. For now, though..." Ninjakon sighed as he looked at his brother. "I knew you wouldn't understand. I... I was waiting to tell you about all of this until after everything was ready. I figured it would be easier to get you to join me at that point."

"Join you!? Why!? What are you talking about!?" Jor yelled. Although he had been convinced the whole thing was a rouse, after seeing Ninjakon be ready to strike down Alpha Hunter, Jor's hopes were all but dashed. Any hope he had left was gone after Ninjakon's recent offer.

"Because we're family." Ninjakon said simply.

"Family? I haven't felt like we were family in ages." Jor countered bitterly.

"I've been busy... planning all of this. I had to keep my distance from you to make sure you didn't find out about this. I guess that in and of itself caused you to find out about this." Ninjakon said, regretting his tactic as he realized his mistake. "But, now that you know, we can change everything. We can have ultimate power together."

"By destroying our friends!?" Jor demanded.

"Friends!? They are only using us for our power! Sentinel Knight only cares about establishing his power throughout the universe. Same as me. In war, you have to get rid of the pieces that are stopping your cause. He is the biggest piece." Ninjakon stated.

"He is trying to make the universe a better place!" Jor screamed.

"By forcing everyone to do things his way! With the universe I will create, everything will be different! And the two of us will have ultimate power!" Ninjakon said, closing his fist dramatically.

"For what purpose!? Why!?" Jor yelled.

"I don't know if you remember this, Jor, but when we were first enlisted into Lothor's group, he pulled me to the side and spoke with me. There, he told me about his plan and how he saw much potential in me. Of course I thought he was a fool, but... I could see how much power his majestic plan had. I was very impressed with it and I thought that if he was smart enough to create such a plan, then surely he could deliver and give me ultimate power as his apprentice.

"When the Nathadians told us, though, that Lothor had simply stole the plan from someone else, that he wasn't its architect? I was done with him. I helped you all bring him down the first chance I could get. I then had to find a way to get the Greatest Treasure and the Power Eggs, especially after Sentinel Knight and the Nathadians protected the Power Eggs with a force field of innocence. That's when I had a chance encounter with none other than Dai Shi. One thing led to another and Dai Shi, Octomus, and I formed an alliance. They saw how much power I could muster up from the Morphing Grid, and we decided to go from there.

"In my studies, I found out about the _Anti_ -Morphing Grid and saw that as my ticket to defeating Sentinel Knight. Taking Alpha Hunter as my inspiration, I decided to make my own team of fighters who could tap into the Anti-Morphing Grid, creating power regulators I call the Badges of Darkness."

Jor interrupted him at that point. "Dude, I heard you talking about 'evil', and you yourself call them the Badges of _Darkness_! Why do you _want_ to be evil!?"

Ninjakon laughed. "The whole evil thing I was speaking about was solely for the benefit of Tycon and my students. They are evil and if I speak to them as if I am, they are more likely to listen to me."

Tycon grunted in anger as he head Ninjakon say that. He didn't like to be played for a fool.

Ninjakon continued. "I, on the other hand, am not evil. I am just someone wanting to break the status quo. Someone wanting to become the next great power. Is Sentinel Knight evil for destroying the forces who fight against him? Is Alpha Hunter evil for destroying the Demons and Monsters he fights? Just because I fight on a different side does not make me evil."

"It does if it means keeping secrets and hurting others. App, Ivicar, Sentinel Knight, and all the other Morphing Masters are _good_ people trying to save the universe and protect the innocent! They don't deserve to be destroyed because you want to change the 'status quo'... whatever that means." Jor countered.

"Oh, man. Will you two just _shut up_!" Dean cried out. As he did, he was punched across the face.

Ninjakon turned back to look at Jor. "They are in my way. It's for the greater good."

"But when does it stop!? Huh!? That's what villains do all the time! Instead of peacefully going about helping others, they just destroy what doesn't work for them!" Jor yelled.

"That's what Sentinel Knight does! How many times have we literally destroyed our enemies!?" Jakon screamed.

"That is completely different! We only destroy those who keep going and keep fighting! Those who are continually trying to hurt those who can't defend themselves! What you want to do is go in and destroy those who wish to be the guardians of the universe, those protecting others, so you can have _power_! Jakon! You're going dark side!" Jor yelled.

Ninjakon grunted in frustration. "So... You're saying that you won't fight next to me? That you won't be my brother anymore?"

"Not in whatever world you're trying to make... See? You didn't even try to refute what I had just said. You know this all just selfishness on your part, Jakon. Dude... it's not too late to end this. No one's gotten hurt!" Jor implored.

Ninjakon laughed, shaking his head. "Jor... you have no idea. And by the way... I wouldn't put all of my trust in the members of the Morphing Masters. They're not all the goody goods you may think they are."

Jor stood up and looked at Ninjakon. All he could see was himself reflected in the visor. He wished he could look into his brother's eyes. He shook his head and said, "Stop this now, Jakon. Please..."

Ninjakon gripped his sword. He then brought it up, slashing Jor across the chest, and yelled, "Jakon is no more! I am Ninjakon!"

"Ahhh!" Jor screamed, flying backwards and landing on his back.

Ninjakon looked down at his blade. Feelings of remorse hit him as he saw his brother's blood on his blade.

"You're a monster..." Alpha Hunter coughed, still too weak to stand. "And I _hunt_ Monsters..."

A beam from the Sword of Light shot out to hit Ninjakon. Without even trying, Ninjakon blocked the beam with a concentrated shot of Ninja Power. "Auron... You've lived a long life, you know. You've cheated your own destruction more times than I can count. Today, I grant you your freedom. Today, you finally get to crossover to the Afterlife."

"No! Alpha!" Sam screamed.

"Master!? Can we destroy them yet!?" One of the students yelled. Apart of their training was to never destroy their opponents until given the order, in case Ninjakon wished to get information out of them.

"Not just yet. I want them to witness the fall of their leader." Ninjakon said. He then lifted up his blade, tip pointing down at Alpha Hunter.

Thrusting the blade down, he yelled in pain as a blue shot of power hit him in the chest. He staggered back a few feet before recuperating. Looking up, he saw Jor standing again, hands out before him. Around his hands, Ninja Power still could be felt emanating from them.

Ninjakon laughed. A part of him was glad to see his brother didn't go down so easily. "Jor... Nice shot."

Jor sneered. "Let's just say I have a few tricks of my own..."

Ninjakon charged up his blade with a combo of Anti-Morphing, Morphing, and Ninja power. He then swung the sword and let the powers sail out to hit his brother.

Jor Ninja Streaked to the side, letting the attack sail on by. Ninjakon couldn't help but laugh seeing Jor leaning against the wall, twiddling his thumbs. "Missed me."

Ninjakon streaked forward himself and slashed at Jor, he vanished in a cloud of smoke. "Missed again! Haha!"

"Wow... Very fast, Jor." Ninjakon said, impressed. He began looking around. Suddenly, Jor appeared out of nowhere above Ninjakon, shooting several beams of power at his red armored brother.

"Never underestimate the power of good!" Jor yelled, seeing his brother fall to his back.

Ninjakon stood up and laughed. "Jor, Jor, Jor. Hehehe... You can't keep this up forever. I have more power now than I ever had. Just give up."

Jor sighed. "I... Man, Sentinel Knight is going to kill me, but you've left me no choice. I call upon the Power of Ninja! Ahhh!"

Ninjakon stared in awe as Blue Ninja Power and Blue Morphing Energy mixed around Jor. Within moments, Jor was wearing armor looking extremely similar to his own. The emblem on Jor's chest was a pure gold color, with an "N" inscribed into it. A similar emblem, but much smaller, was on his forehead. His visor was also wider than Ninjakon's.

"Are you sure you don't want to team up?" Ninjakon asked, impressed. "Really... We could have such power together!"

Jor sighed. "Stop this, Jakon! We can work things out! It's not too late!"

Ninjakon shook his head. "It is too late. Too late for us and too late for the Morphing Masters. Ahh!"

Armored Jor unsheathed his sword and raced forward as Ninjakon shot a blast from his sword. Armored Jor easily cut the attack in half and swung his sword at his red armored brother. They began trading blows, but each were able to block the other's attacks.

"Come on, Ninjor! Come on!" Ninjakon mocked.

"Ninjor!?" Armored Jor asked.

"I think it's only appropriate. I'm now Ninjakon and you're now-" Ninjakon was finally able to land a blow. Sparks erupted from Jor's armored chest. "Ninjor!"

"Fine." Ninjor yelled, Ninja Streaking around Ninjakon. He tried to do the same attack that had brought down Alpha Hunter, but Ninjakon streaked away too quickly.

"Give it up! I'm going to win this!" Ninjakon warned.

Ninjor sat and stared in anger at his brother. He knew this would be a very dangerous fight. He knew he had his work cut out for him if he was wanting to beat his brother. Time after time, Jakon had always been the stronger of the two.

Then, Ninjor remembered when he and Jakon were being trained by Trueheart and App. He remembered the first time he had been able to take Jakon down, using his inner Ninja Powers and tap to the Morphing Grid to over power Jakon. He remembered how much Jakon relied on his wits and logic, and how Trueheart and App had told him if he were to only trust his instincts, and not in the power of his own cleverness, that the Morphing Grid would never steer him in the wrong direction.

"No, you won't." Ninjor said. He began clenching his fists in anger, his entire body shaking. "Evil never wins, and you are evil. Evil... makes... me... _angry_!"

"What!?" Ninjakon yelled in shock. Flames appeared on Ninjor's visor. An extreme amount of Morphing Energy was flowing through Ninjor.

"Good will always win! Ninja Power: Now!" Ninjor screamed.

"Ugh!" Ninjakon yelled as Ninjor's chest opened up. He could only think of what may have been happening to Ninjor's organs as his head seemed to spin backward _into_ his back. As it did, _another_ head spun around, from Ninjor's chest. This new head had a humanoid face, with red coloring around the back. The emblem on the forehead and chest changed to be mostly red, with a gold "U" wrapping around the golden "N". The armor around Ninjor's arms flared out, while the armor on his thighs dropped down to become shin armor. The letters stood for "Ultra Ninja".

"Behold the _true_ Power of Ninja!" Ninjor yelled in his new armor.

"Impossible!" Ninjakon yelled, unconsciously stepping back in fear.

"It's what App taught us. What you have lost over the years. It's the next step in Ninja Power. The goal for any Ninja: to attain the powers of the Samurai!" Ninjor cried out. Samurai Ninjor then pulled the sheath on his back from off his back and attached it to the hilt of his sword. "And now you will be defeated!"

Rushing forward, he slashed with his blade. As Ninjakon blocked it, Samurai Ninjor was able to swipe it to the side, as the Grid directed him to do, and hit him in the abdominal region with the armored sheath. He then slashed Ninjakon with his blade. Able to get behind him a bit, Samurai Ninjor elbowed Ninjakon in the back.

"Agh!" Ninjakon yelled. He fell to his knees, sword clattering on the floor as it flew out of his hands. Lost in the fog, Ninjakon struggled to find his weapon.

"I know where your sword is, brother..." Samurai Ninjor said. "If only you would stop trusting in your own cleverness, and trust in the Morphing Grid and the Power of Ninja... you'd feel where it is."

"There is more power in the Anti-Morphing Grid! Yah!" Ninjakon yelled, shooting a beam of Anti-Morphing Energy at Ninjor.

Seeing as Ninjakon's tap to the Morphing Grid had been severed when Ninjor tapped into it, Ninjakon was solely running on Anti-Morphing Energy. The reason for this, Alpha Hunter thought as he watched Ninjor get hit by the beam, was that because Ninjor and Ninjakon were so close to each other, they were tapping into the same Grid tap. Because Ninjakon was tapped into the Anti-Morphing Grid, the Morphing Grid tap Ninjor had was being drastically damaged by Ninjakon.

"Ahhh!" Ninjor cried out. The Anti-Morphing Energy was causing the cells in his body to begin to be destroyed, due to their current junction to the Morphing Grid.

"No!" Alpha Hunter yelled. He knew the dangerous ramifications having the Morphing Grid and Anti-Morphing Grid mix within someone in the wrong way. Mustering every last ounce of energy he had, he jumped and landed in between the two, taking the brunt of the attack.

"I don't think so!" Tycon screamed. He rushed forward to attack Alpha Hunter. As he did, Alpha Hunter shot a blast of power at Tycon, causing him to fly backwards and slam into a wall of the barred fence.

Alpha Hunter fell to his hands and knees as the attack ended. While he did, Samurai Ninjor clutched his ribs. "Thank you, Auron..."

Nodding, Alpha Hunter said, "Join hands with me."

As Samurai Ninjor and Alpha Hunter grasped hands, Ninjakon pulled himself up, feeling weak. "Let's see if I, too, can attain the power of the Samurai! Ahhh!"

"Nathadian Containment Spell!" Sentinel Knight screamed, running in through the door to the foggy room.

"What!?" Samurai Ninjor yelled. Before he could pull his hand away, a beam of Nathadian Magic, mixed with Morphing Energy, Anti-Morphing Energy, and Ninja Power, protruded out from Samurai Ninjor, Sentinel Knight, and Alpha Hunter.

"Nooo! I will get you for this, Sentinel Knight!" Ninjakon yelled as he began to morph into his own version of Samurai Mode.

Samurai Ninjor watched in depression as what appeared to be Samurai Ninjakon turned into a cloud of red smoke, before an urn appeared under him and sucked him in.

"Why...?" Samurai Ninjor asked sadly as he turned to look at Sentinel Knight.

"It was either that, or destroying him." Sentinel Knight said simply. "I figured this would be better."

"How?" Alpha Hunter asked, walking up to Sentinel Knight.

"When you morphed using the Morphing Grid, I came here as soon as I could. It took me a while to figure out where this place was. It's somewhere in the Magic Realm in the middle of a very dangerous desert." Sentinel Knight explained. "Really, it took Rikku forever to maneuver around the tornadoes. Yuna is outside right now using some Animal Spirits to fight off the Monsters outside."

Alpha Hunter then turned to Ninjakon's former students. "Stand down now or be destroyed."

They all followed orders and let Sam and Dean go. Dean turned around and punched the one you had punched him earlier across the face. "Jerk."

"Where's Tycon!?" Samurai Ninjor asked, demorphing into Ninjor.

Sentinel Knight sighed. "He must have used Octomus' Magic and teleported away."

"I hit him good, though. I will be surprised if he survives the attack." Alpha Hunter said.

"Now what?" Ninjor asked. He looked down at his armor. "I... I broke the rules."

"But you had to, Jor, judging by what I just witnessed." Sentinel Knight said.

"But I'll be a bad example to the other Morphing Masters, Tidus." Ninjor rebuttaled. "I'll forever be the excuse they need if they wish to tap the Morphing Grid themselves."

Sentinel Knight sighed. "Don't worry. Just... never morph again. There. It's settled."

Ninjor nodded. He then concentrated so he could demorph. "...Uh-oh..."

"What is it, Jor?" Alpha Hunter asked.

Sentinel Knight folded his arms across his chest. "Is everything okay?"

"No..." Ninjor said, looking down at his armor. Looking back up at Sentinel Knight and Alpha Hunter, he shouted, "I can't demorph!"


	52. Part 3 - Chapter 26: Books of Time

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Books of Time**

Alpha 4 walked through the portal. Before he knew it, he and the monitor he was carrying were standing in the midst of the newly named Angel Grove. Looking forward, Alpha 4 pointed the monitor in King Michael's direction so Zordon could look at the Ethereal.

Zordon clenched his fists as he started at Michael. To the Ethereal's left stood Trinity. Her new majestic wings shined brilliantly as the sun hit it. "Trinity!"

Michael laughed. "There is no Trinity. Not anymore. She is now my connection to the Universal Morphing Grid!"

"What do you want!? Why are you doing this!?" Zordon demanded. He was hoping that Dimitria was doing all she could to get backup as soon as possible. All the while, he could not take his eyes off of Trinity. His heart pained as he looked at the expressionless look on her face. She seemed to stare off into the horizon, with no thoughts going through her head at all. The vibrant woman who had been by his side for the past two thousand years was no longer there. All that stood by Michael's side was a shell with her appearance. Something inside Zordon, though, told Zordon that somewhere within the brainwashed being her saw before him, Trinity was still clawing and screaming to make her way out, to be able to gain control of her life again.

"I am doing what has been prophesied! I am ensuring the Holy War occurs." Michael explained.

Zordon swallowed a bit, trying to see if he could calm himself down. He hoped if he calmed down, he could calm the maniac king down. "Michael of the Ethereals... Please listen to me. Whatever prophecy you think you are fulfilling, I beg of you to stop. That woman is my wife. I am imploring you to let her go."

Michael laughed. "Temporal things such as marriages will not exist in the universe I am going to create after this! The Holy War marks the dawn of a new age! The prophecies state that the Holy War will show to the entire universe who the dominant power is! It will show who will be the one to rule the universe from this point onward!"

Saba frowned. "Zordon... Perhaps it would be wise to get on the same page as he is. Understand what exactly he is referencing. If you can start on the same level, you can find out where he thinks he can dominate the world."

Zordon nodded. "Michael... Where are you getting these prophecies? Why do you think they are valid?"

"I have several different sources for my prophecies, you see... books that the Ethereal Scribe, Metatron, keeps. They tell of the past, present, and future." Michael said, clenching a fist as if he was reveling in the idea of the books.

"Once again I must ask... why are these books valid in your eyes?" Zordon asked.

"Their origins are unknown. All my scientists have been able to discover is that they are connected to chroniton particles and that they are able to show different aspects of Time. The Book of Prophecy, a book that seems to be connected to the Magic Grid, tells its reader what their future will be based on their current decisions. If they don't change, their path will be what the book has predicted. Ever since I was a young prince, the Book of Prophecy has foretold that my destiny is wrapped around the Holy War.

"The next book is one we call the Xenotome. It is connected to the present. When a reader looks upon its pages, they are blessed to see something that is relevant to them in the here and now. It takes great wisdom to be able to decipher its messages correctly.

"The Scrolls of Destiny are another parchment in our possession. It chronicles Time from when an ancient evil who called himself Lothor came to our reality, until the time when he opens up an abyss here on this planet. These scrolls mention that along the way, a great and mighty battle will commence in the Grove of Angels, involving the leader of Earth. Here we are in Angel Grove, and you are here, Zordon, as the leader of Earth.

"To sum it all up, Metatron has his summary of what had actually come to pass, cross checking the prophecies and, for the most part, the three documents have been correct about the future. We call those the Chronicles of the Universe. _That_ is my cause for validity in the prophecies, Zordon." Michael proclaimed, staring at the floating head on the monitor as if to dare Zordon to refute his testimony.

A message from Dimitria popped up on the hologram, stating backup was on the way. A side note stated she could not get a hold of Gosei and Notrom and that they were probably arranging the Ranger Keys, while Doc was in the middle of freezing Robo Knight. Nodding, Zordon knew he had to stall for longer.

"You mentioned what the Scrolls of Destiny said, but... what does the Book of Prophecy state? How about this Xenotome? Please... Help me understand." Zordon said, all the while eyeing Trinity and the emotionless look on her face.

"Oh, stalling... good thinking." Saba said.

Michael stared long and hard into Zordon's eyes. "The Book of Prophecy solely says that the Holy War will end in the Grove of Angels. I asked the Xenotome what I should do, because the other half of the Holy War was... gone... and it gave me this."

Zordon watched as Michael whipped out a Black Power Card, similar to the ones the Gaia Rangers used. Doing a quick Meledon Scan, Zordon could sense that the card had mind control abilities and had given Trinity's mind to Michael. He couldn't see, though, how it would help Michael bring back the mysterious "other half" of the Holy War.

"I am sorry, Michael, but... I just don't see how what you have said is irrefutable. The Book of Prophecy says the Holy War will end in Angel Grove, but it doesn't say it has to start, does it? If you decide to end everything here and now, would the war not technically _end_ here? You yourself said the future it predicts is based on one's The Xenotome gave you what you were looking for. _You_ wanted a way for the Holy War to occur. That doesn't mean it has to happen. Also, your Scroll of Destiny says there is a war that starts in Angel Grove involving me, apparently. Who's to say that is _this_ war? What if, in the future, I am involved in some other war that starts here? Everything you have said is very vague, and I cannot support it."

"You don't need to, Zordon! Soon, this world will be destroyed, and the universe will be rid of Demons! Then, the Ethereals will rise with me as their king, and this woman here as their queen!" Michael yelled.

"Don't you dare touch my wife." Zordon warned.

"This is all pride, Michael!" Nathadian Ranger screamed, running in from the side. "You don't care about the results of the Holy War! All you want is to end your feud with your brother. Your mind has become so deluded due to your time in Bansheera's cage that you no longer care about you hurt, as long as you get to your brother. You led your people into a death trap to get their powers! Michael! Please stop!"

"That voice..." Saba said. "I know it has been many centuries, but... Zordon!? Is that...!?"

Zordon nodded. "I knew it the moment she spoke. It's Tria."

"But how!?" Saba said, staring at the events unfolding beside his longtime friend.

Michael paused for a moment. He began thinking about what he had just heard. Some part of him could see the truth in what Nathadian Ranger was saying. Guilt gripped his heart as he remembered the look of hurt on Castiel's face when he realized Michael was betraying them. He looked over to the brainwashed Trinity, thinking of how he was ripping her away from her life. He thought about all of the inhabitants of that planet, and what would happen to them.

He then thought about his brother, Victor. He thought about that horrible girl, Lilith, and how she locked onto Victor like a plague. His heart was heavy as he remembered the first time he saw Victor become a Demon, the Alpha Demon even. He remembered his vow, that he would one day allow the Holy War to occur, so he would be able to save Victor from the grasps of evil.

"At times..." Michael said, completely sane for the first time since Castiel had released him from the monolith. "We have to hurt others to ensure we get out 'happily ever after'..."

As Michael pulled out five other Power Cards, Nathadian Ranger yelled out, "Nooo!"

"That's nonsense, Michael! You're being selfish!" Zordon cried out.

"Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi!" Alpha 4 could be heard shouting.

"Zordon! Look!" Saba declared, pointing at the hologram.

Zordon observed as Michael threw the five cards into the air. He then lifted up his sword. White Energy and Morphing Energy mixed into the sword and shot Trinity.

"Trinity! No!" Zordon screamed.

The beam then left Trinity and shot the Power Cards. Those in the valley watched dumbstruck as the cards turned into humanoid figures. Soon, those figures became familiar looking warriors.

"The secret weapons of the Holy War! The Gaia Power Warriors! I think you know these Morphing Grid warriors now a days as Power Rangers, though..." Michael declared.

Doing a quick scan, Zordon sensed who were the warriors behind the masks: Joe Kenig; Luka Miller; Guy Kari; Miha Momomille; Marvin "Marvelous" Louse. He shook his head in disgust as he watched them stand before Michael, as brainwashed as Trinity.

Michael held up the black card connected to Trinity. "And thus starts the Holy War!"

"Meledon Conversion: Speed Force!" Nathadian Ranger screamed.

"Stop her!" Michael ordered.

As the blur that was Nathadian Ranger zoomed toward Michael, Trinity flashed forward in a blindingly speed herself. She slammed into the Power Ranger. She then grabbed Nathadian Ranger and, placing her blaster to the Power Ranger's chest, fired.

"Ahh!" Nathadian Ranger yelled, falling to the ground near Alpha 4 and the monitor displaying Zordon's head. She demorphed as she hit the ground, shaking her head in defeat.

"No one will stop this!" Michael screamed. He then tossed the card to the ground. Channeling power from the Gaia Rangers and Trinity, Michael zapped the black Power Card.

"What is he doing!?" Zordon demanded.

Climbing to her feet, Tria frowned. "He's bringing back his brother. This is _very_ bad.

They watched as a massive dragon-like being emerged from the light blasting out from the Power Card. Soon thereafter, a loud and ominous booming of laughter could be heard coming from the figure as details began to be seen from the beast. Many arms, and a second head on the torso were the foremost features that stood out in the minds of those watching.

From high above, on a cliff, Gokai Slayer looked down with his arms folded across his chest. Speaking in a voice sounding very similar to Marvelous', he said, "And so he returns..."

"Hahaha! Yes!" The being cackled. "I'm finally back. I have awaited this day for two thousand years!"

"Who are you!?" Zordon demanded.

"I am the harbinger of what is to come. I am the Alpha Demon. I am Beelzebub."


	53. Part 0 - Chapter 27: The Hunter

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Hunter**

 _Two Hundred Years Later..._

"Thank you immensely for you help, Ninjor." Alpha Hunter said. "Demona's offshoot of Gargoyles will still be threat, but without your help in that last fight, I think Goliath and his crew would have fallen for sure."

Ninjor laughed. "Oh, it was nothing. I'm just glad I was there for when you needed me! Is there anything else I can help you with, Auron?"

Alpha Hunter shook his head. "No, I'm good. Dean is waiting for me back in the craft. We have an appointment with Castiel I don't want to miss."

"Then may the Power protect you, old friend." Ninjor said, putting up a hand and nodding.

"And the same to you." Alpha Hunter said. As he was to turn around and leave the Temple of Power, his eye landed on a golden coin with a footprint on it. "Oh, what is that? I feel a strong presence from the Morphing Grid around it. The... Green spectrum of the Grid?"

Ninjor laughed. "Very perceptive and in tune with the Morphing Grid, Auron. Well, as usual I suppose. Yes, the Dino Guardians are in search of the Wild Sword and I am making a coin to help them out in finding it."

"How will a coin help?" Alpha Warrior asked.

"Well, the person holds onto the coin and concentrates. It will junction them to the Morphing Grid and allow them to become a Grid Warrior, like you and me." Ninjor explained.

"Hmm... so they use an exogenous totem to be their conduit? Interesting. Isn't there a risk they can overcharge, though? I mean, you and I are living legacies of what can happen to you if you junction to the Grid improperly." Alpha Warrior said, pointing at his and Ninjor's Grid infused armor.

"I have been tinkering with the idea of making power regulators, but I don't have time for that at the moment. Tycon is on the brink of getting the Wild Sword and we need to act now. If he can get it, he will have enough power to re-power Dai Shi and bring him back to power." Ninjor said, sighing.

"Well, we don't want that. It was hard enough putting him down the first time... One other thing, though... won't Sentinel Knight be upset? After what happened to you, he has been very strict about the laws of his new United Alliance." Alpha Hunter pointed out, worried.

"Well, I'm not a Morphing Master and neither are the Dino Guardians. Heck, on paper I'm dead! I want to see Sentinel Knight come down here to my temple and tell me what to do. Hehehe..." Ninjor said, mock posing as if to flex his muscles.

"That's why I love you, Ninjor. You're always able to make things look better. Well, good luck with this coin... Dragon Spirit I'm sensing?"

"Correct again!" Ninjor stated proudly. "That's how it will attract the Wild Sword!"

"Well, good luck. I'll see you later. Keep your nose clean, kid." Alpha Hunter said, slugging Ninjor on the shoulder.

He walked out of the main temple area. He found himself in a forest - like area, with a waterfall and a serene sense of peace. Alpha Hunter watched the fighters who followed Ninjor practicing in a small grassy area below. Ever since Ninjakon had been captured, Ninjor had decided to take what Ninjakon had been doing, taking students and teaching them, and turn it into something positive. His Ninjas were taught to either channel their inner Animal Spirit or an element within them that seemed to be prevalent within them.

Ninjor was able to do this because, after having become the warrior he did, he and Sentinel Knight had to sit with App and decide what they were going to do next. The problem they had faced was that what Ninjor had done, tapping into the Morphing Grid, was against the law of the Morphing Masters. They deliberated for a bit, allowing Alpha Hunter into the conversation after they had discovered he had been regaining his memories, and decided that if Ninjor were to return and even tell the truth, he would set a precedent that stated that although the law was there, it would be okay go break it if things went very poorly.

Ninjor had said that he could not allow that, because people would remember that as an excuse, making it easier and easier for people to tap into the Morphing Grid and cause damage to themselves, taking Alpha Hunter as an example and his amnesia. To avoid problems, Ninjor volunteered to stay behind and have Sentinel Knight and App report that both he and Jakon had been destroyed in battle. He said that way he could stay in hiding, training others in secret to be a mighty, secondary force outside of the Morphing Masters. It would also let Jakon's secret stay secret. He did not want the story of Jakon's heroic acts be marred in the public sight. He wanted everyone to remember Jakon as a hero.

Thinking of Jakon, Alpha Hunter shook his head as he exited the Temple of Power. Ninjor had requested that Ninjakon's prison be taken out of the temple, so he didn't need to constantly be reminded of his brother's "fall from grace". Sentinel Knight and the Nathadians then decided to leave him in the Ancient City, the name Lothor's Great City had come to be known by. Over the years, the Ancient City had come to be something of a legend in the universe. Most believed the place to be haunted. That was due to the Nathadians taking residence there after the events at the Temple of Power. They had found some artifacts that had been left behind and decided to guard them, while also having a place for themselves to live. They had been having trouble figuring out what they wished to do with themselves, helping the Morphing Masters from time to time. Living within the Ancient City, they were able to settle down a bit more than they had been up to that point.

Alpha Hunter nodded as he entered the ship. "Let's head out."

Dean didn't look at him, just staring ahead. "Cass, right?"

"Yes, to Eden." Alpha Hunter replied.

Alpha stared on as they left the surface of the place around the Temple of Power called the Desert of Despair. The Nathadians had enchanted it to be very dangerous, to stop unwanted people from entering it. The Morphing Masters, App and Sentinel Knight, themselves had done what they could to increase the danger known about it by spreading rumors.

After leaving the solar system, Alpha Hunter broke the silence. "We can't go on being angry at each other."

"Oh, yes I can." Dean said.

"You're taking this too far. We need to be able to communicate if we're going to keep working together." Alpha said.

"What!? _I'm_ taking this too far? Me? I'm not the one who decided to get one of your most loyal followers, _my brother_ , and start pumping him full of Demon blood to use him as a weapon." Dean said, fury dancing off his brow.

"I only came up with the idea. Sam was the one who volunteered." Alpha retorted.

"Oh, no! Had you not come up with that stupid plan, we would not have lost him!" Dean shouted.

"The plan was sound. It was Sam who was too weak to resist the temptations the Demon blood put into his system."

"No! You were the one too weak to take the Demons down without resorting to stupidity. I'm only sticking around long enough to stab Ruby in her Demonic heart and to get Sam back. After that, I'm done being a Hunter." Dean said, slamming his fist onto his console.

"Fine." Alpha Hunter said. He stood up and walked to the back of the ship. He opened up his journal and looked at his list of things he wanted to accomplish:

1) Find the last two active Alphas: Deviot and Serrator  
2) Find Beelzebub's location where he was sealed  
3) Find Bansheera and her underground empire  
4) Defend the reputation of the Gargoyles from being tainted by Demona's splinter group  
5) Slay as many of the Alphas' progeny as he could  
6) Find Sam

Alpha stared at the last line. His heart felt tight in his chest as he thought about how his decisions had led to Sam becoming corrupted. He sighed as he closed the journal. As he did, a small device on his table began beeping. It was a device he had created, using scientists from the United Alliance, that had mapped out his genome and had isolated the Alpha DNA coding. With the device, he was able to know when an Alpha was nearby, within a certain distance.

"Dean! Dean! There's an Alpha nearby!" Alpha Hunter said, rushing to the front.

"Not my problem. I'm going to go to Cass because he may have info on finding Sam. I'm not going to be pulled into your crusade anymore. I'm just using you for your powers but if you need to leave, then by all means, the door is there for you to go. Just don't let it hit you on the way out." Dean said, sneering as he looked at Alpha Hunter.

"Don't do this, Dean. I need your help now more than ever." Alpha said. "It's been a while since I found an Alpha. Maybe it's Beelzebub, and we can find a way through him to get Sam."

"Or it's not. I'll try my luck with Cass." Dean said.

"..." Alpha Hunter shook his head. "Thanks for everything, Dean. The past few years have been good. I'll do what I can to find Sam."

"Don't bother. Just... stay away from us." Dean said.

Focusing, Alpha Hunter teleported himself out of the ship. He looked and saw the closest planet to him. He recognized it as a planet he had seen before: the Cimmerian Planet. He focused again and, using the wavelengths of the Morphing Grid, became one with them and teleported down to the Cimmerian Planet.

Landing, he looked and saw a castle in the distance. He focused onto the Morphing Grid and teleported into the castle. Deciding to show whoever the king was respect, Alpha stopped before the king's throne room doors.

Instantly, the king's guards pulled out weapons to attack.

"Whoa! Hey! I'm here to speak to-"

Before he could finish, they jumped to attack. Alpha Hunter dodged their advances with ease. He laughed as one of the guards tripped on his own foot. Alpha Hunter reached out and grabbed him by the back of his collar, helping himself get steady again.

"I'm here to have an audience with the king! Ah, forget it..." Alpha said, teleporting into the room.

"Who dares disturb me!?" The king demanded from atop his throne. He stood up in anger. He then began laughing as he saw that it was Alpha Hunter.

"Umm... King! I am here to..." Alpha Hunter could not help but feel distracted by the king's uncontrolled laughter. Outside of that, the laugh itself seemed oddly familiar. Stopping, Alpha Hunter clenched his fist as he saw who it was atop the throne. "Deviot!?"

Sitting back at the throne, Deviot nodded. "Correct, but I now go by the name King Elma Estro here. Now, what brings you here?"

As Alpha began to speak, the guards rushed in, but were waved away by Estro. Alpha Hunter then stepped forward. "I'm here to end your life. How _dare_ you!? These are innocent people! They don't need a man like you as their king! You don't even have the decency of changing your Human appearance to _pretend_ you're someone else!?"

"Nope." Estro said, popping a grape into his mouth from a bowl to the side of his throne. "Hardly anyone knows this form anyway. You know, I've been working my way up the ladder on this planet for a very long time. I started here as a scientist before moving on. My image was being tarnished here by my 'unsavory' experiments. Anyway... so you're here to end me, huh? Good luck with that!"

Alpha Hunter produced the Sword of Light. Without another word, he teleported to the throne and sunk the blade deep into Estro's chest. He was confused when it passed right through him.

"Hologram." The projection of Estro said, eating another grape and laughing. Alpha waved his hand at the bowl to see that it, too, was a hologram.

As it shut off, Alpha Hunter turned to see Estro walk in from a side door. He was shocked when the Alpha Shapeshifter's Human form melted away, revealing something almost entirely robotic.

"What happened to you!?" Alpha cried out.

"During the last battle against that Lothor fellow, I was hit hard by some odd energy or something. It seemed to begin to start some sort of necrosis in my organs. I had to, slowly over time, create this new body for me. Although I am a Cyborg now, I am still Deviot, or Elma Estro. Hehe... if you rearrange that name, you'll see it spells out 'El maestro'. I thought it was clever."

Without further ado, Alpha Hunter gripped the Sword of Light, pulling it out of the throne, and teleported to Deviot's location. As he did, though, he fell to his face in pain. "What!?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you? I'm planning on infiltrating the Morphing Masters. To do that, I've created machines that can hack into the Morphing Grid for me. Since you are connected to it, I figured I could just manipulate you." Deviot said, holding up a remote control.

"Stop this!" Alpha Warrior demanded.

"Oh, okay! Haha What a dumb request. Maybe I will just siphon your energy for myself..."

"Ahh!" Alpha cried out as he felt Deviot's tech begin to plug into his Morphing Grid tap. "Take this!"

A blast of Anti-Morphing Energy erupted from Alpha Hunter, hitting Deviot hard. Tapping fully into his Anti-Morphing Grid powers, Alpha Hunter pulled himself up.

"How!?" Deviot demanded.

"Prepare to fall! I am the Alpha Hunter, and you are an Alpha. As... as you fall, another piece of... of Lilith falls, too..." Alpha Hunter said, struggling as his body began to convulse. Unknown to either of the Alphas in the throne room, the damage being done to Alpha Hunter's Morphing Grid tap, and his tapping into the Anti-Morphing Grid as his sole source of power, was having extreme effects on his body.

"What's happening!?" Deviot demanded, worried his machines would soon explode that were laced throughout the insides of his walls.

"Noooo!" Alpha Hunter screamed as a vortex appeared over him. Within a moment, he was gone.

Morphing back into Estro, he frowned. "Well, that was odd."

As he made his way back to his side room, he turned on a hologram of himself while he sat once again upon a chair. Sighing, he grabbed another handful of grapes and stuffed them ravenously into his mouth.

"Sire?" A guard asked, unaware of what had occurred due to the soundproof walls in the throne room.

Estro sighed again. With irritation on his face, he rolled his eyes and said, "What?"

"Ummm... A traveler is here to ask you about the man who... apparently _was_ here."

"Let him in." Estro said, smiling as he was enjoying where this was heading.

The man walked in. "Um... yeah... hi. I'm Dean. Um... I came here looking for a friend of mine. Kinda tall. Green suit. Helmet. Kinda hard to miss."

"Yeah, I saw him. He left, though. I didn't have any information for him. Sorry." Estro said.

Dean looked down at the device in his hand, still flashing, indicating an Alpha was on the planet. He then laughed, asking, "Do you happen to know anyone by by the name of Serrator or Deviot?"

Estro smiled. _Ah... a Hunter..._

Shrugging, Estro said, "Nope, but I'll make sure to keep my ears open."

Dean frowned. "Kay. Thanks." Stepping out of the throne room, he pounded one fist into another. _C'mon, Auron... Where are you?_

Estro sat in his room and smiled. _This may work after all... Especially with this energy I took from Auron. Wow. Hehe... Soon I will have complete power. Soon I will be able to worm my way into the Morphing Masters and find out all of the secrets they have. Then, knowing the secrets of the universe, I will be able to control_ _everyone_ _, and the entire universe will tremble solely at the_ _mention_ _of me, the mighty Deviot!_


	54. Part 3 - Chapter 27: Family Ties

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Family Ties**

Octomus bellowed in anger as he shot a spell at Necrolai. "What is this!? How could you have let Dai Shi be captured!?"

"He... It wasn't my fault! There were others, and he became a Demon and-" Necrolai began.

"A Demon? That hag Bansheera! She will pay for this! Where is she now!?" Octomus demanded.

At that, Camille made her presence known. She had seen Octomus' anger and had decided to lie low until she could appear with good news. "My spies have confirmed her destruction, Master."

"Really...? Is it possible they saw... incorrectly?" He asked, his voice reverberating throughout the massive room.

Camille shook her head. "No, Master. They saw Michael, the Ethereal King, destroy her."

Necrolai took advantage of the break in her beating and slipped out of the room.

"What!? Michael!? No!" Octomus screamed. "His infernal Holy War! It has begun.

"I'm assuming this is very bad, then?" Camille asked, shrugging.

"Take all who follow me and try to stop him. If he fulfills his prophecy of the Holy War, then all is lost. Prophecy says that he is triumphant in the Holy War will be the leader of the forces that will eventually rule the universe. We _cannot_ let this war happen!" Octomus shouted.

"Then will you be joining us in battle!?" Camille asked, hoping against hope.

"I should strike you down for such a suggestion! I'm too important! No, I must go and start my contingency plans. Without Dai Shi, I must start my new... _org_ anization..." Octomus said, chuckling as green seeds appeared in one of his tentacles. He then vanished as he shouted: " _Mysto motro unithos_!"

Camille calmly placed her hands together and cocked an eyebrow. "Okay, then... It seems as if we're going to battle."

Bansheera was placed upon her throne, missing her lower half.

"Do something, Jinxer!" Diabolico demanded.

"The damage is too extensive! I can't heal _this_!" Jinxer cried out.

"What do we do, Vypra!?" Loki(D) asked.

Vypra did not answer. She only stared off into space, eye twitching. Ayame Ubi had launched another attack in her mind, and the Demon Vypra was having a very difficult time evading the elaborate trap.

"Ahhh!" Vypra screamed in the "mind realm". She found herself in a Demon Trap.

"You can block me off from your current location within my own mind, but sooner or later I will break through your 'Mind Fortress' and I will destroy you, Vypra!" Ayame Ubi screamed, decked out in battle armor. She then lifted up a massive laser cannon and started blasting the heavily barriered castle Vypra had caused to appear around her when she found herself caught in the Demon Trap.

Meanwhile, Bansheera looked at her followers. "I'm... weak..."

"She lives!" Diabolico shouted in triumph.

"Use... Nathadian Magic..." Bansheera said, gasping as she tried to look to Jinxer.

"What is that!?" Jinxer demanded. "Tell it to me so I can save you, my Queen!"

Bansheera sighed. _Even with the blade of the Dark One, his mind has finally deteriorated due to the Demonic DNA... he has finally forgotten all about his Human life. I, myself, am losing a lot of it..._

"This..." Bansheera began. "Is... Michael's... fault! Destroy... him...!"

"On your orders. Let us go down and end his existence!" Diabolico said.

Jinxer opened up a hologram of what was happening on Earth. As soon as he located Michael, he gasped. "Look! It is the leader of Earth: Zordon! And Beelzebub! He has returned!"

"But how!?" Diabolico demanded.

Bansheera saw the Black Power Card in Michael's hand. Suddenly, memories began rushing through her mind. _I... I remember now... Alphabet Soup... It was supposed to... Yes. The Xenotome told me the one time I was able to touch it that Alphabet Soup was going to bring forth the power that would redo the power hierarchy in the universe! And..._ _him_ _... Hen... Henry! I was going to bring him back and put him_ _in_ _Alphabet Soup to become the chosen one the Xenotome spoke of! But why am I remembering this now...? Oh! That card! I can use it to bring Henry back to me!_

"The... Black Card... Get it for me..." Bansheera ordered.

Diabolico pointed at it on the hologram. "The one Michael holds?"

"...Yes..."

"It shall be yours! Everyone follow me to Earth now!" Diabolico cried out as he and the other Demons, including a lucid Vypra, became Demon Clouds and made their way to Earth.

 _I must have that card!_ Bansheera thought. _And once I see Henry... just seeing him I know I can retrieve all of my past memories! And as a family we both shall rule the universe!_

 _. . ._

Black Energy revolved around Beelzebub. He turned and looked at Michael. "Hello, brother. It seems you got out of that box."

Michael pointed his sword at Beelzebub. "Will you surrender now and come back home, Victor?"

"Wow! I have not heard _that_ name in quite some time... _I am Beelzebub and you will rue the day I returned to the land of the living!_ "

"Let the Holy War commence, then!" Michael roared. As he did, a portal appeared. Spewing out from the portal, hundreds upon hundreds of Rinshi and Morlocks flooded the landscape of Angel Grove.

"Destroy them!" Michael ordered.

Zordon stared in anger as Trinity flew off to fight the enemies. He also watched as the Gaia Rangers stormed in, ready to fight. He saw Trinity meet up with the Chameleon Warrior and begin to trade blows.

"No! I have to do something! Guardian! Anyone!? Get me out of here!" Zordon demanded.

Saba approached Zordon. "Stop! We're stuck here and there is nothing we can do about it!"

"She's my wife! I _have_ to save her!" Zordon screamed.

"Don't worry about it, Zordon..." Tria said, approaching the monitor. She had overheard Zordon's outburst. "She's my sister. You can count on me to get her back."

"Tria... how are you even _here_!?" Zordon demanded, turning to her.

"I'll explain after I get Trinity back. It's morphin' time!" Tria yelled, becoming Nathadian Ranger once again.

"Meledon Conversion: Speed Force!" She yelled.

"Speed Force connection depleted. Recharging." A computer voice said.

"Use something else." The Guardian said in her helmet.

As Nathadian began sprinting forward, knocking out and destroying monsters as she ran, she said, "How did you get Orion to let me go after Trinity? He was rather... non confrontational about it."

"I told him that you wouldn't affect the timeline since you are from the time line." Guardian replied slyly.

"But I'm supposed to be destroyed here. You lied?" Nathadian said, not believing her ears.

"Sometimes the rules need to be bent in dire situations. Your family has gone through too much. Besides, September here so far says he truly cannot see anything adverse happening." Guardian explained.

Nathadian Ranger leapt over a Rinshi, only feet away from her sister. "Yeah... so far..."

As she was to grab Trinity from behind, blasts of Black Energy erupted around Nathadian Tria. She looked up to see Diabolico and his crew appear nearby. They seemed to be attacking anything that moved. A large army of Batlings flanked them on all sides.

"What are they doing here!?" Nathadian Tria demanded.

"September says it seems as if Bansheera sent them. She... wow. She wants the resurrection card Michael has. You must go stop them now!" Guardian ordered.

"No! What about Trinity!?"

"Stopping Diabolico is top priority now." Guardian said, trying to shut off his emotions.

"Then send Zrin or Zordon. I'm saving my sister." She yelled. She could already feel the time vortex opening behind her.

"Nice try. I'm sending Orion." Guardian said.

"Well, you're not taking me." Nathadian Tria said, demorphing.

"Noo-" Guardian could be heard yelling as her helmet disappeared. The time vortex disappeared as well.

On the other side of the field, she saw Nathadian Orion pop out of another time vortex. "Good luck, Orion. I have a mission of my own. Oof!"

Tria fell to the dirt as a Morlock Hidiack hit her. She was then picked up by a Batling and thrown into a mosh pit of monsters. _This is gonna be harder than I thought..._

Meanwhile, Michael flew up into the sky. He then began showering orbs of White Energy down on Beelzebub. Before he was pelted, Beelzebub caused a shield of Black Energy to appear around him.

"Give up, Michael! You can't beat me! I can feel some of my former followers are here. How about I call _all_ Demons here!?" Beelzebub screamed. Then, using his Alpha powers, he sent out a blast from himself that erupted throughout the entire universe, calling for any and all available Demons to come to him.

"I can take them all on. Then I will, with a heavy heart, slay you. Then Beelzebub will be no more, and the only name people will remember is that of Victor." Michael said. He then rushed down covered in White Energy and began ramming himself into the force field, trying to reach Beelzebub who was within.

Meanwhile, Nathadian Orion rushed to get to Diabolico. As he approached him, he yelled: "Meledon Conversion: White Battery!"

He quickly became Nathadian Life Ranger, with white spandex, white hair, and the same triangle emblem on his chest than when Zordon had tapped into the same power. Although he wore a mask, Zordon from the hologram could still recognize him.

"That's Orion!?" Zordon said, bewildered.

"The Guardian has a lot of explaining to do..." Saba said.

He watched as Nathadian: Life shot out several blasts of White Energy at Diabolico. Zordon frowned as he watched Batling after Batling jump in front of Diabolico, blocking the blows. All the while, he could see the Gaia Rangers and Trinity fighting anything they could, under orders from Michael.

"Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi! Isn't there something we can do, Zordon!?" Alpha 4 cried out.

Zordon closed his hand into a fist. "Point my monitor in their direction."

As Alpha 4 did as Zordon requested, Saba asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm hoping for a miracle..." Zordon said. When he could see all five Gaia Rangers and also Trinity at the same time, he shouted: "Nathadian Blast! Meledon Conversion: Transmission Block!"

Zordon fell onto his back. Blood poured out his nose as he looked up. The blast ripped out of his dimension and was hit by the Meledon Conversion.

"Please let this work..." Zordon prayed.

He watched as the spell landed on the six targets. _I love you so much! Please come back to me!_

"Huh?" Gaia Red said. He looked to Gaia Pink.

"What in the holy mess is happening here!?" Gaia Blue demanded, swinging his weapon and hitting a Rinshi in the face.

"It's time to beat up an old friend..." Gaia Black said, pointing to Beelzebub in the distance as he backhanded Michael.

Gaia Yellow laughed. "We have way too many lives!"

"Let's make this one count." Gaia Pink said, clenching her fists as she eyed the beast she wanted vengeance on for so long: Beelzebub.

"Alright." Gaia Red said. "Let's make this showy."

A few feet away, Tria was punched in the face by a Hidiack. "Ugh!"

Before another move, a blast of White Energy evaporated the enemy.

"Huh?" Tria asked in confusion, massaging her jaw.

"Tria! You're back!?" Trinity yelled, swooping down and landing before her sister.

Tria sprinted forward and hugged Trinity with all her might. " _You're_ back!?"

"How is this possible!?" Trinity demanded while bawling her eyes out.

Tria turned and saw Nathadian Ranger Life struggling against Bansheera's forces. "No time now. We have to get that card from Beelzebub while Orion is buyin' us some time."

"Orion!?" Trinity asked in surprise.

"Yeah! Come on!" Tria shouted.

Zordon turned his head to Saba. "It worked! It..."

Saba gasped as Zordon passed out. "Oh, no! Zordon!"

Meanwhile, Beelzebub looked back and saw the Gaia Rangers rushing forward, with Tria and Trinity close behind. "Looks like you've lost your lap dogs."

"No matter. I don't need them anymore. They got me here where I wanted to be." Michael said. He then rushed forward and, blocking all of Beelzebub's attacks, chopped off his second head. He then stabbed him in the chest.

"Ahh!" Beelzebub cried out.

"Time for this to end. Time for the culmination of the Holy War, brother." Michael said, digging the blade in deeper. "Time for me to recreate the universe."

 _. . ._

Lord Zedd knelt before Dark Specter. "Tell me where you wish for me to go."

"I-" Dark Specter began. Before he could finish, he felt Beelzebub's call.

Lord Zedd felt it as well. While Dark Specter had the feeling that something akin to a father was calling for him, Zedd felt something different. _Who is this calling out for me? How dare they presume to think they have the authority to tell me to come to their aid!?_

"You have Demon blood within you, Zedd. Did you feel that?" Dark Specter said.

"Uh... no, your darkship. I did not." Zedd lied.

"Hmm... then I will assign your star system at another time. I have... pressing matters to attend to." Dark Specter said. He then left the room, becoming a Demon Cloud as he did.

"Hmm... why was I not affected like him? What am I?" Lord Zedd thought as he looked out of the window of the room he was in on the Dark Fortress.

 _. . ._

Beelzebub screamed in pain and anger. One of his many arms grabbed Michael from behind. Another punched him in the face as yet another threw him off of the Alpha Demon, causing the sword to fly out of his trunk as well.

"...I will now destroy you!" Beelzebub screamed. He began charging every ounce or Black Energy that he could into himself, ready to destroy Michael.

"No..." Michael said, on the ground and disoriented. He fumbled for his sword but could not grip it.

"Dynamic Victory Charge!" Gaia Pink screamed. Before they could do the attack, however, a blast hit them from above. The Gaia Rangers fell to the ground. Tria and Trinity rushed to their aid.

"Tsk, tsk." Darkonda said, arriving in time. "Although Beelzebub and I have never worked together, I'm interested in seeing what kind of universe he can shape for Demons like me."

"Novact!" Tria spat.

"Wow! Tria of Triforia!? What a treat!" Darkonda said, pulling out a sword. "I'm going to make sure you stay gone this time, though."

A mere fifty yards away, Beelzebub was almost ready to send a massive Black Energy bomb at Michael. "It's time you-ungh!"

Before he could finish, Gokai Slayer descended upon Beelzebub and slashed him several times. "I don't think so."

"What!? Who are... my avatar!? Is that you!? What are you doing!?" Beelzebub demanded.

Gokai Slayer laughed. "I'm making sure you don't come into power. If you win, you'll want to put me back as a part of you. I've... come to like being my own person."

"Traitor! You're a part of me! I gave you life! I am the Alpha Demon and you are my Demon!" Beelzebub bellowed.

Gokai Slayer laughed and shook his head. "No... I'm not a Demon. I'm Gokai Slayer." He then became a blur and zoomed off into the distance, placing Michael's sword in Michael's hand before leaving.

Plunging the sword into the dirt, Michael used it as a crutch as he pushed himself onto his feet. Hobbling slowly forward, he hovered over Beelzebub. "Goodbye, brother."

"You wouldn't dare!" Beelzebub screamed.

"Yes, I would." Michael said.

He lifted up his sword and swung it. Before it hit its downward arc, though, he stopped. Michael's eyes went wide as he dropped his sword. Beelzebub watched in confusion as it fell to the dirt.

Suddenly, a massive figure emerged from behind Michael, unseen by Beelzebub due to his line of sight. It was the massive lava golem, Dark Specter. He lifted Michael up, revealing his fist in Michael's back, having penetrated it. Dark Specter then threw Micheal up and into the air. As Michael said through the air, Dark Specter shot four massive Black Energy infused fireballs from his mouth at Michael. Beelzebub's eyes widened as he saw his lifelong rival explode in the air, a shockwave of White Energy erupting from him as his life ended.

"What is this!?" Beelzebub demanded from the ground. "Who are you!?"

The massive fiery Demon laughed a deep, dark laugh. Fear hit Beelzebub in his very core as he heard the laugh reach his ears. "I am the future ruler of the universe: I am Dark Specter."


	55. Part 0 - Chapter 28: Power Conflict

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Power Conflict**

Abarekiller pointed his quill/blade at the people who were Earth's newest residents. "I demand to know where the Dino Gems are!"

The leader stepped forward defiantly. His people had heard Earth was hostile, with Mesogog's crime organization becoming quite prolific throughout the universe. They had faith that the Dino Guardians, however, would be strong enough to defend them and eventually capture Mesogog, putting him away for good.

Abarekiller laughed as he watched the small man take on his mantle as leader of the Hhumans. "Ha! You fool. Stepping forward like that as an offering?"

"We do not know anything about any Dino Gems! Leave us alone! We only wish to have land for our families." The man said, swallowing hard as he did.

Abarekiller rolled his eyes and sighed. The massive Dinoman then rushed forward as fast as he could, stabbing the man in the gut. "Haha! Anyone else want to be a hero!? Now... Where are the Dino Gems!?"

A woman began screaming in fear. Yellow Energy danced around her like a yellow aura. "We don't know! Please!"

"Liars! Earth is now the main hub for Dinosaurs of all species! The only reason anyone would come here is to tap into our powers to use the Dino Gems in conjuction with the Universal Dino Energy!" Abarekiller accused, ripping his blade from the man's stomach and picking him up by the throat. He then slammed him violently into the ground, causing the party of people to scream in fear as they heard the crunch and cracking of bones.

"Dracul! Stand down now!" Geki screamed as he jumped out of his hovercraft. Mei, Goushi, Dan, and Boi jumped out after him, their weapons ready.

"Hehe... Dino Guardians. You have the nerve to come here and fight me after the last time I embarrassed you?" Abarekiller said, placing a hand to his forehead and walking back and forth.

Geki gripped his sword tight. "Take these people to safety. I'll handle tall, dark, and scaly."

"Need help with that?" Dan asked.

Geki considered before nodding. "Yes. Triassic Power!"

The four lined up on either side of him, lending him their Dino Spirit Energy to cause his special weapon, the Shield of Triumph, to activate his Triassic powers.

As the people sprinted to the four Dino Guardians and their hovercraft, Abarekiller laughed. "Come on, little boy. I'll whip you again."

"Ahhh! Triassic Dimension!" Triassic Geki shouted.

"Bring it on..." Abarekiller said as he appeared in the fractal dimension of colors. He gripped his weapon tightly as he looked around. He then felt movement behind him. Rolling to the left, he threw out his blade and felt it connect with Triassic Geki.

"Impossible!" Triassic Geki shouted as the armor over his chest sparked. The sudden and unexpected hit broke his concentration, sending the duo back to the main dimension.

"Haha! I know your tricks now, Geki. I won't fall to you anymore!" Abarekiller said. He then quickly drew several golden arrows in the air before him with the tip of his quill and then pointed the tip at the fallen Triassic Geki. He watched in delight as the arrows flew to hit him.

"You cannot stop the Power of _Ninja_!" Ninjor declared, flying down on a cloud and slashing the arrows with his blade.

"What!?" Abarekiller demanded. Before he could flinch further, a blast hit him hard, sending him flying back.

"Your brand of evil will never win." Sentinel Knight declared, rushing forward and pointing Excelsior at Abarekiller.

"This isn't your fight!" Abarekiller yelled, pulling himself up and tapping into the Speed Force to hit Sentinel Knight and Ninjor.

"I don't think so!" Ninjor chanted almost as if he were singing. He disappeared in a cloud of smoke to appear suddenly behind Abarekiller, slashing him hard against the back with his blade.

"Ahhh!" Abarekiller screamed as his knees buckled, causing him to fall. Due to the massive speed at which he had been running before falling, he began to roll forward into a ball.

Sentinel Knight got into what looked like a golf pose with Excelsior and, as the "ball" that was Abarekiller approached him, Sentinel Knight twisted his trunk and then drove the sword forward, slamming with the flat side into Abarekiller. Ninjor andSentinel Knight watched as Abarekiller flew off off into the distance while Triassic Geki limped over to their side.

"Not to sound ungrateful... but... why didn't you destroy him?" Geki asked after "demorphing".

Ninjor sighed. "He's really tough. We figured we'd just get him out of the area to help those innocents back there escape."

Sentinel Knight nodded. "We'll hunt him down later."

"I'm very glad you were here, though... He has become too strong to handle." Geki said, shaking their hands.

Sentinel Knight looked to Ninjor while addressing Geki. "Yes. When we arrived on the other side of the continent where Mesogog was launching an attack, we noticed his number one fighter wasn't there."

"We then left the Nathadians in charge of the battle with the other Morphing Masters and began searching the globe. When we picked up your Triassic transformation in the Universal Dino Grid, we were able to pinpoint where you and, as we guessed, Dracul were." Ninjor explained.

"Well... we will let you take those people to safety. Until the next time we meet." Sentinel Knight said.

"Hopefully it'll be under better circumstances." Geki said as he turned and ran to the hovercraft. Jumping atop his cloud, Ninjor flew up into the sky as Sentinel Knight flew after him.

"Any news about Auron?" Sentinel Knight asked.

Ninjor shook his head. "No. Dean is still looking. You can understand that since he is still looking for his brother, he may not have as much time as he would like to look for Auron."

Sentinel Knight nodded and sighed. He was worried about Alpha Hunter. The Hunter's sudden disappearance worried him. "And with everything else going on, I can't afford to try and find him, either."

"Yeah, especially with all of these newcomers popping up here on Earth." Ninjor added.

"Mentioning the newcomers to Earth... what do you think?" Sentinel Knight asked.

Ninjor sighed, shaking his head. "I've been giving it a lot of thought, actually. I believe more and more people will come here to Earth. There's just... something about it. And, this will lead to a lot of problems."

"So, will you relocate the Temple of Power?" Sentinel Knight asked. He had actually brought the topic up solely with the purpose of posing that question to Ninjor. Sentinel Knight had gotten used to leading the Morphing Masters and placing things in order to ensure everything went according to plan.

Over the few centuries after the defeat of Lothor, Sentinel Knight had the displeasure of needing to organize a team of people to lead the forces of good against what seemed to be a steady rise of evil in the universe. He had to also butt heads with a man who he had once thought to be like a father to him, the man who became known as the revenge driven Alpha Hunter.

In the beginning, Sentinel Knight had been confused and constantly was doubting his efforts to save the innocent while maintaining the Morphing Masters, an organisation he had come to love with all his heart, seeing them as his family. After one particularly bad mission involving the civil war within the Gargoyles, Sentinel Knight had left and almost quit the Morphing Masters. Meditating, he remembered a conversation he had many years earlier before the collapse of Lothor's organization, with the man Alpha Hunter had once been: Auron.

Auron had told him to stick to his guns, in a sense. He told him that, in his opinion, the way to never have regrets would be to have a set of morals that were tried, tested, and true. Then, to never deviate from those guidelines. He had remembered Auron had said that even if things went wrong, Sentinel Knight would know that he did his best and that was all that he could do. He wouldn't ever need to regret anything as long as his heart was in the right place.

Sentinel Knight thought of this as he tried placing the idea of relocation to Ninjor. He knew Ninjor had not been a Morphing Master for many years due to the incident involving Jakon, but he still felt he had a point in subtly advising Ninjor on what he should do.

Ninjor laughed. "Actually, I quite like Earth. I'm sure Onyx is a lovely planet, but I'd rather stay here. Yes, I have something else in mind!"

"Oh?" Sentinel Knight asked, trying not to let the new control hungry part of him show. He was frustrated that Ninjor had different plans, regardless of the fact that he knew not what those plans were.

"Yes. I am going to close down the temple." Ninjor said simply.

"What!? But you are doing a lot of good with your students!"

"Yes, but I fear that my existence being found will cause problems. One, people will try to storm the temple. I mean, yes me and my students are powerful enough to stop them, but it would be tedious to be constantly trying to fight people off. And what if another Lothor pops up? Another Mesogog? And if my temple is discovered, will my students be of any use constantly defending the temple?"

"I suppose not..." Sentinel Knight said, looking at the situation. "Then leave Earth."

"No, it would be the same anywhere else. It's too much of a temptation. I won't allow my teachings to be lost though. I am selecting my top instructors to open up various Ninja Academies around Pangaea, where they will continue training people up and helping people become powerful. Actually..." Ninjor said, turning to look at Sentinel Knight. "I think we should have them be a second, secret branch of the Morphing Masters. One that focuses on the Martial Arts portion of the Morphing Grid. I would then divide them up into separate branches: the Elementals and those who use Animal Spirits. They would train in the ways of Ninja until they would be ready to become Samurai."

"I don't know... another branch of Morphing Masters?"

"Listen, they would govern themselves and train in secret. I would still want to discuss things with you and the Nathadians, though, so we could get everyone on the same page." Ninjor said.

"But I can't lose your power." Sentinel Knight said.

Ninjor sighed. "Tidus... I'm tired. I want my Dino Coins to be my swan song. I want to retire while still knowing my legacy continues. You know, the only reason I let go of my old life, no longer even calling myself by my real name but my new name, was for _you_."

"What do-"

"Listen, Tidus. I could have told everyone what happened to me. The incident with Jakon and me tapping into the Morphing Grid. I didn't, though. I respected your organization and saw how it would be for the best for everyone. So, please... respect my decision old friend. I feel that this is for the best. Please..."

Sentinel Knight floated beside Ninjor for a while in silence. He thought about everything Ninjor had said for a quite bit of time. Only when they were close to the battlefield, able to hear the roar of one of Yuna's Animal Spirits, Bahamut, did Sentinel Knight break the silence.

"Okay, my friend. I will agree to this. But remember, I don't care how many branches of the Morphing Masters are created... they will never be a replacement for you."

"I'm not going to die!" Ninjor replied, laughing.

"Yes, but it won't be the same. It's not as if I will have all of the time in the world to visit you." Sentinel Knight explained.

"I understand, but it's not as if we will be fighting for the rest of our lives!" Ninjor said with vigor.

Sentinel Knight bowed his head. "I hope not..."

As they arrived closer, Ninjor suddenly looked quickly to Sentinel Knight. "What is that I feel!?"

Sentinel Knight nodded. "That would be the Greater Power of the Nathadians. It manifested itself recently. Emma keeps it with herself at all times now in a small chest. She doesn't trust that it would stay safe in the Ancient City."

"Hmm... When we speak about the Order of the Claw and the Order of the Elements, we'll have to discuss the future of that power as well. It can't be taken into battle like that." Ninjor said.

"What are those orders?"

"Oh, those are names I came up with for the different branches of the Morphing Masters I told you about. Spiffy, right!?"

Sentinel Knight chuckled. "Yes, Jor. 'Spiffy'."

"Wait... How did they get Greater Powers? Killian's no longer with them." Ninjor asked.

Sentinel Knight shrugged. "I can only guess that he was with them for long enough, and technically what he is doing now isn't too far off from what they are doing, that whatever laws govern Greater Powers saw it fit to still grant the Nathadians one."

"Interesting..." Ninjor said, unsheathing his sword.

They then dived down and joined the Nathadians and the other Morphing Masters in their fight against Mesogog and his army.

. . .

Till, a Liarian, looked over the hooded man who entered his hut. "How may I help you?"

The man lifted up his hood, revealing Killian's face. "I want to disappear. I'm... I'm sick and tired of my life right now. Everything is wrong and I... I haven't been able to fix anything."

Till nodded. "I may be able to help you with that... But I guess you already knew that, since you knew to come here. Wait... I know you! You're Auric the Conqueror!"

Killian nodded. "Yes, that is me." He thought about how, even after so many years, the name still sounded foreign to him. He thought about how he had taken his father's name as a fresh start, to start a new life dedicating to helping those who could not help themselves, all the while trying to hunt down Bansheera. His vigilante lifestyle was condemned by the Morphing Masters, but he couldn't stay with them any longer. The more he stayed by their side, the more their faces reminded him of his betrayal and his time helping Regina. He was constantly tortured with the idea that if he had not helped Regina, that she would have never become Bansheera in the first place.

"You're a hero! You've done so much good in the universe! Why would you ever want to disappear!?" Till demanded.

Auric sighed. "I... I have my reasons."

Till frowned as he pulled out a tiki. "I'm assuming since you're not a Liarian, yet you're still here, you know how this works?"

Auric stared at the tiki, determination etched onto his face. "Yes... you help seal people away. You help people be able to escape the woes of their life until they come to terms with themselves. You lock us into these tikis you make with your KeyMagic. Whenever we are ready... whenever we come to terms with ourselves... the key attached to our tiki will glow, letting you know that we are ready to come out. I... I have a lot of... well I guess the best way to describe them is literal _Demons_... in my past that I need to come to terms with. I feel like my past is stopping me from being able to be the best that I can be. That is why I have come to you."

Till stared at Auric, then back at the tiki. _You're a hero, though! You don't seem to understand how much good you have done!_

Till sighed. "Okay then. Stand there. I will now start the ceremony."

Auric breathed in. He was very nervous, but he felt this was for the best. "I'm ready. I guess I'll see you... whenever I see you."

Till sighed yet again. He didn't feel good doing this. His son had been one of the people in a convoy that was recently saved by Auric the Conqueror. He imagined a universe without a person who could do such good would be a universe in which he did not want to live. "Okay, then. Oh, mighty Auric, I- Sorry, I need your full name."

"Killian Auric Jones."

"Killian Auric Jones, with the Key Magic I wield, I confine you to this tiki until you are finally at one with yourself!"

Auric closed his eyes as the Gold Magic washed over him. He could feel it sucking him into the tiki. The last thought he had before going into a dream-like state, thinking over his life and his "demons" was that of Henry, and how he hoped to avenge what he thought of as a betrayal to the boy who was once his friend.

Till then looked at the tiki. "I'm so sorry, Auric, but I have deceived you... I... I cannot allow you to stay cooped up in that tiki, when so many others need your bravery."

Till cast another spell upon the key. Although Killian, or Auric, would stay in his dream-like state, his key would still be able to summon him from his tiki when the time was needed. Till decided that since he believed the universe needed such a good person like Auric the Conqueror was, that he would keep an eye out in the universe for the forces of evil. Whenever he would see evil occur, he would turn the key and release Auric. For Auric, it would seem to be a dream, and it would even (probably) help Auric defeat his perceived weaknesses.

Placing the Tiki of Auric onto a shelf, with his Golden Key hanging on a peg beneath the shelf, Till smiled. "Sleep well, Auric."

. . .

Ivicar slid away from the battlefield when no one noticed. He had seen Zurgane briefly in the cave and knew it meant something. After walking further into the dark cave, he found himself face to face with his secret ally.

"What is it, Zurgane!? You know how dangerous this is for my cover!?" Ivicar demanded. "Did Bansheera tell you to summon me? Ugh... I knew taking that deal to join her was a bad idea..."

Zurgane shook his head. "No, sir. It's... It's Vexacus. He... He did it. He ambushed me and he took the Gem of Souls."

Ivicar slowly curled his lip in anger. Purple electricity began to flow through him. "He did _what_!? You fool! That gem is the key to releasing Lothor! The only reason I teamed up with Bansheera was so we could trick her into bringing Lothor _back_. His Spirit is in the gem!"

Zurgane shielded his face with his hands. "I know! I know! I'm sorry, sir! That is why I have come here to let you know I am no longer able to work alongside you and help you!"

"Oh, no you don't! You will not escape my wrath!" Ivicar said. He lifted up his hands and began charging small purple orbs of power in his palms.

"That is not what I mean, sir! What I am saying is from now on, until I succeed, I am devoting one hundred percent of my time into finding Master Lothor! If you destroy me now, you will lose a body you can use who will be dedicated enough to finding him! You know how dedicated I am to this cause!" Zurgane explained/implored.

Ivicar depowered his hands. "Hmm... You are quite... stubborn. Okay, fine. Go off and do this. But I cannot have you dedicating _all_ of your time, because I still need someone to help me do my dirty deeds. If I do all of my stuff alone, I will surely be caught."

Zurgane nodded, straightening himself. "I have already thought of that. Sir, look at this."

From out of a pouch around his waist, Zurgane pulled out a photograph and handed it to Ivicar. Ivicar shrugged. "So, what? It's a picture of the new king of the Cimmerian Planet, Elma Estro."

"Sir... Do you not recognize that face?" Zurgane asked.

" _Sir, do you not recognize that face_?" Ivicar said, mocking Zurgane in a high pitched voice. "Of _course_ I do. I just told you who he is!" He then slapped Zurgane in the back of the head. "Just because you're going to dedicate your time to fixing your own dumb mistake does not mean I'll excuse _everything_ stupid about you!"

"I am sorry for not explaining myself, sir. I recognized him when I saw him, but couldn't quite place the face. After much pondering, I remember him now. That is the Alpha Shapeshifter, Deviot. I recognize his face from the final battle at the Great City, before Lothor fell. I saw him with the other Alpha Monsters." Zurgane explained.

"By golly... You're right! Haha!" Ivicar said.

Zurgane pointed at the photograph. "I believe you can blackmail him into being your new assistant. You're a Morphing Master with a lot of sway, and you're stronger than him. You can tell him to obey you, or risk you exposing who he really is!"

Ivicar smiled. "Brilliant. With his political standing, that will also be a help to me... You've done well, Zurgane... and poorly. You've done very poorly, but... this _begins_ to make up for it. Is your ship in orbit?"

"Yes, sir."

"Tell it to teleport me to the Cimmerian Planet right now. I'm sure I won't be missed if I'm gone a wee bit longer." Ivicar said, smiling.

"But, sir... I can't teleport you that far..."

"I'm a Morphing Master. I'll just boost the teleportation as I travel through space. I mean... I _am_ Lothor's secret apprentice. I have a lot more power than these knucklehead Morphing Masters, even. They just don't know about it." Ivicar laughed.

Within moments, he was teleported through space. As soon as he would feel the teleportation give out, he would zap it with his magic and his tap to the Morphing Grid, causing it to continue. Before long, he was in the throne room of the Cimmerian Planet.

The hologram of Estro fumed. "What are you doing here!? Who are you and... Master Ivicar of the Morphing Masters?"

Ivicar squinted at Estro. He then slowly looked around the room until he felt the energy from where the computer causing the hologram was. He pointed at the wall and blasted it, revealing Estro in his secret room.

"Ah!" Estro screamed. Before he could move, Ivicar teleported himself right next to Estro.

"How did you-!?"

"Hello, Deviot."

"What are you talking about!?" Estro said, swallowing hard.

"Don't play dumb with me, Shapeshifter. Now, listen... I have a... business proposition for you."

"What do you want!?" Estro said, afraid for the first time in a long time.

"I want you to work with me. I am in league with the Demon Queen, Bansheera, and we are getting ready to execute something which will change the universe. It's called Project White Genesis."

"Why me!?"

"Because you are a king, and you are ready to do what it takes to cause change."

"Well... Can you help me get into the Morphing Masters?"

"What!?"

"You see... I... I have plans of my own." Estro said, sitting up in his seat. "And they involve getting into the Morphing Masters. Maybe we could... help each other?"

Ivicar smiled. "I think this is the start of a fruitful relationship."

Estro smiled back. "As do I. Hmm... Ivicar and Deviot, huh? I think we will make quite an unstoppable force. I think we could end up doing a lot of damage together."

Ivicar nodded. "Together... We will cause the destruction of the Morphing Masters!"


	56. Part 3- Chapter 28: The War in the Grove

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: The War in the Grove**

Nathadian Ranger Life grunted as a blast of Star Power slammed into him. "Agh!"

Having been morphed into this new mode, connected to both the Morphing Grid and also the White portion of the Emotional Spectrum, Nathadian: Life no longer wore a helmet. The part of his helmet which allowed him to stay in contact with the Hall of Legends had become a small earpiece. From said earpiece, the Guardian's voice flowed out from it. "Orion!? Are you okay!?"

Nathadian: Life coughed and laughed. "Yeah, I'm good. This Demon, Diabolico, is pretty dang strong, though!"

"I am sorry. I completely forgot about the powers he took from Lije of the Dawn. He will be quite a tough opponent." Guardian said.

"You don't say!?" Nathadian: Life said sarcastically as he jumped to his feet and obliterated a small squad of Batlings with a small shockwave of White Energy.

"Loki!? It's Dark Specter!" Diabolico said, gripping his sword tightly as his vision went back and forth from Dark Specter hovering over a fallen Beelzebub, and to the approaching Nathadian Ranger Life.

"What do we do!?" Loki(D) asked, pointing his bazooka at Nathadian: Life.

Diabolico shook his head. He did not want to divide his army, but he could not think of a better way. "We need that card for Queen Bansheera. This White Ranger here is very powerful, though. I will battle him. You head to Beelzebub, but be careful! I don't want you to fall to Dark Specter."

Loki(D) nodded. "Understood, Diabolico!"

"Just make sure you get that Power Card from Beelzebub. Then we can leave this horrid place." Diabolico ordered. As he watched Loki(D) walk away, he called out after him. "And please be careful!"

Nathadian: Life scoffed. "That's rich. You'd almost think you're capable of feeling!" He then shot four volleys of White Energy toward Diabolico.

Unflinching, Diabolico walked slowly toward Nathadian: Life as Batlings jumped in his way, taking the hits for him. "Oh, I am capable of feeling. Once Bansheera rules the universe, everyone will become a Demon. Then even you will be able to benefit from the gift of Demonhood."

Nathadian: Life clenched his fist in anger. He pointed his unclenched fist at Diabolico. "Bansheera is a scourge in this universe. I've seen _far too much_ what that horrible witch is capable of! I will _not_ allow the same thing that happened to my people happen here as well! Bansheera will not rise to power in this universe! Meledon Conversion: Red Battery!"

The suit the Nathadian Ranger was wearing changed from its pure white color to, with a burst of power that looked like Nathadian Ranger had been swallowed up by a crimson tornado, a deep red color. The triangular emblem of the White Battery Mode had been replaced with the Red Battery Mode emblem. It was two parallel lines running vertically, opening up at the top of the symbol, creating what could be seen as a sort of goblet like shape. At the bottom of the symbol was a circle which resided in between the parallel lines.

With an explosion of Red Morphing Energy behind him, Nathadian Ranger screamed with fury on his face that could be seen even with the small mask over his eyes: "Nathadian Ranger: Rage!"

"Orion! Be _extremely_ careful! You need to stay in control!" Guardian yelled in concern over the earpiece.

Diabolico took a step back. "What sort of power _is_ this!?"

Vypra destroyed a Rinshi as she, too, looked over. She began to tremble in fear at the sight of the rage filled Power Ranger.

Red Energy circled about Nathadian: Rage. It then accumulated beneath his feet, lifting him up into the air. The Red Energy was invisible to the naked eye, and thus made it appear as if Nathadian: Rage was floating in the air. He had his arms outstretched to the side, fingers outstretched and pointing toward the sky, looking as if he was revelling in his power. "Hahahaha! You tell _me_ to be careful!? Ha! The only ones who should fear my power are the fools who stand against me! Rage Sphere! Yaaaah!"

Visible Red Energy gathered around his right fist. He then cocked his arm back and, swinging with his shoulder, a ball of power that seemed almost as if it was made up of viscous blood sailed through the air, aimed right at Diabolico.

"Star Power!" Diabolico screamed in a panic. The blast erupted from the star on his chest like a meteor. It hit the Rage Sphere head on, but lost the battle of brute force. Diabolico watched in terror as the Star Blastwas disintegrated by the Rage Sphere. He then braced himself as he was hit. He flew onto his back, screaming in pain as all within a fifty foot radius, from Rinshi to Batling to Hidiack, disintegrated from the power.

"..." Diabolico attempted to pull himself up, but could hardly move.

"Hahaha! You're lucky that attack of yours slowed the Rage Sphere down!" Nathadian: Rage proclaimed. "Now I will force you to watch as I destroy your entire army before I rip you limb from limb!"

"Orion!? No! Destroy him now!" The Guardian screamed. "September has calculated that this will make the future better without him!"

Nathadian: Rage scoffed. "This is the beginning of my vengeance, Guardian. Butt out!" Red Energy encircled him. Laughing maniacally, Nathadian: Rage zoomed down and began grabbing Batlings. The first he grabbed he picked up by placing his palm over the crown of its head. Looking Diabolico in the eyes, he laughed as he flicked his wrist and broke the Batling's neck.

"You're... insane...!" Diabolico coughed out.

Nathadian: Rage laughed as he shot a Rinshi with a Rage Blast. "I'm not insane! I'm just... _angry_."

Meanwhile, Darkonda was enjoying playing with Trinity, Tria, and the Gaia Rangers. "Dark Pulse!"

A cloudy black ball erupted from Darkonda's sword. It flew straight at Trinity.

"White Shield!" Trinity screamed. Her wings erupted from her back once again. White Energy glided off each feather of her wings, coming together before her to form a tapestry of power. The matrix of White Energysolidified before her into a shield and absorbed the attack.

"I won't let your wings get in my way! Ahhh!" Darkonda screamed, rushing forward to strike at Trinity with his sword. As he did, a shockwave of Red Energy swam over the area, radiated from Nathadian: Rage's attacks.

The wave of Red Energy seemed to saturate the air around everyone there. It seemed to dance off of each person like a heatwave. Darkonda dropped to a knee as the Red Energy began to an permeate his very being. He looked up at Trinity, eyes glowing red. She stared back at him with the same red eyes.

"Ahhh!" Darkonda screamed, rushing forward again.

In a blinding speed, Trinity flew around him before landing behind him. She grabbed him around the neck from behind and flew up with him. She then slammed him down, driving his body into the dirt and gravel.

"I will rip your Demon body apart!" Trinity screamed, madness dancing off her brow.

Tria's eyes became red as well. She stopped tending to Gaia Blue, who was still trying to recuperate from Darkonda's sneak attack from earlier.

"Huh... Huh? Master Tria?" Gaia Blue asked in confusion.

"What's going on with everyone?" Gaia Black asked, helping Gaia Blue up.

"What do you mean? Is there something going on?" Gaia Blue asked.

Gaia Black pointed at Gaia Pink screaming at Gaia Yellow. "I know that the only thing you want is to take Marvelous from me!"

Gaia Yellow shoved Gaia Pink. "As if! He's like my dorky brother! You just think because you were appointed as the leader of our group you can boss people around now!"

"Don't lie to me, you hussy!"

"What did you call me!?"

"You heard me, you floozy!"

As they argued, a group of berzerk Hidiacks ran to attack the two female rangers. Without breaking eye contact with one another, they extended their legs and caught two of them in the throat. Before the others could attack, Gaia Red slashed through them with his sword. He then turned to look at the Yellow and PinkRangers.

"What are you two _doing_!?" Gaia Red insisted.

Gaia Blue and Gaia Black made their way to him. The Blue Ranger shrugged. "It looks like they are... under a spell?"

Gaia Black nodded. "That's the only thing I can come up with. Otherwise it doesn't make any sense."

Gaia Red sighed. "Okay, fine. Let's try and snap them out of it."

Gaia Pink then turned and looked at Gaia Red. "How _dare_ you think you can _snap_ me out of anything! You don't know me! You're not in my head! You can't just come in and _fix_ me!"

"Yeah!" Gaia Yellow said, joining in on the verbal attack against Gaia Red. "You're just an ignorant little snot! How _dare_ you think you can boss us around!"

"I know... it's because we're girls, isn't it!?" Gaia Pink screamed.

"Uh-oh..." Gaia Blue said, stepping back.

"Oh, just because you're men and we're women, does that mean you can boss us around!?" Gaia Yellow accused.

"What is it, Joe!?" Gaia Red asked, stepping back as well.

"If they're under a spell, _and_ they're accusing us of gender inequality... we're in big trouble." Gaia Blue explained.

"You bet your man loving hide you are!" Gaia Pink screamed. "Wind Drive!"

As the White Energy wind based attack erupted from Gaia Pink, with a new mix of Red Energy, Gaia Yellow rushed forward with her hand weapon to start physically attacking the male Gaia Rangers.

Gaia Red swung his sword and parried the attack. "Luka!? Please stop!"

"No amount of begging will save you from my _rage_!" Gaia Yellow screamed as the Blue and Black Rangers jumped onto her back to try and subdue her.

A few feet away, Tria grabbed Trinity from behind and threw her off of the nearly comatose Darkonda. "He's _mine_."

"...ugh..." Darkonda moaned as Tria spun him around to stare into his face.

Tria sneered as her eyes glowed with Red Energy. "Novact... the _traitor_. This is _all_ your fault! If you hadn't betrayed Commander Zedd and the rest of your troop, Master Vile would never have found out about the Zeo Crystal, and he would never have escalated Project White Genesis! I've seen your life line and you have been the catalyst for more evil in the universe than most others... I mean, it is because of you Dark Specter exists in the first place! When Bansheera was creating you, a piece of your Greed stayed behind and when Neo Maligore was created, it mixed with your essence and created Dark Specter! Well guess what? It all ends here, Novact! I'm going to- oof!"

Trinity blindsided Tria. "I'm going to destroy him. Not _you_!"

"I have a history with him, Trinity! Back off!" Tria screamed in fury.

"No! You've been gone for two thousand years! Although you knew him first, I have more time battling this Demon. He's _mine_!" Trinity rebuttaled.

"How dare you speak to me that way! You know why I've been gone for two millennia!? Because you didn't even try to save me, _that's why_!" Tria accused.

"Oh, don't you _start_ that with me! We tried and couldn't find you. Apparently it's because you didn't perish in the _first_ place! Why didn't you tell me!?" Trinity screamed.

"I couldn't! The Guardian..." Tria stopped and began to think a little more clearly than she had been up to that point.

You know what this is, Tria! Tria of Wisdom said to her. You were taught about this! It's the effects of Red Energy. Someone must have tapped into the Red portion of the Emotional Spectrum. It's infecting everyone around that person! You need to control yourself and stop this!

"The Guardian _what_!?" Trinity demanded. "Oh, I get it! You can't even think up a lie, huh!? Well... I will make sure you go back where you came from! I don't need you interfering with my life anymore!"

Speaking aloud to herself, Tria placed her hands to her temples and screamed: "What if I can't control it!? Ahhh!"

"Control me!?" Trinity screamed, thinking Tria was speaking to her. "You really do think you can come back into my life and tell me what to do, do you!? I will _destroy_ you for your stupidity!"

You have to dig down deep! Tria of Courage counseled. You have to stand up for your beliefs and not let this spell become your new inclination! Be strong!

Tria of Heart put in her two cents, as well. Tria... You _must_ beat this. The fate of all of those you love lies in the balance.

Tria then looked up, the red fading from her eyes. As she did, she saw Trinity blazing toward her. "Umm... Nathadian Blast!?"

A burst of Nathadian Magic came out of Tria and hit Trinity in the stomach, sending her spiraling backwards, but still staying afloat. Tria looked down at her hands in surprise. "Wow! I actually got a spell off unmorphed!"

Trinity looked at Tria in anger. "You will pay for that!"

"Trinity! Please! Calm down!" Tria pleaded.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Trinity screamed. She was still a little off kilter from the blast, but was quickly regaining her composure.

Tria frowned. I'm sunk if I can't knock some sense into her... What do I do!?

All the while, Dark Specter laughed as he taunted Beelzebub. "So much for the mighty Alpha Demon. You're as pathetic as Bansheera said you were. She destroyed you two thousand years ago, and I will destroy you once again. And this time, you won't come back."

"...How _dare_ you speak to me... this way... I am the father... of our species!" Beelzebub said, struggling to speak.

"Yes, you are. But... you're outdated. I'm a new breed of Demon. I have no mortal counterpart. I was created pure. I'm not a hybrid like you." Dark Specter said proudly.

Beelzebub tapped into his Demon Alpha powers and sensed Dark Specter. "... It's true... but Demons are _supposed_ to be hybrids... you're... you're just an... _abomination_."

Dark Specter shook his head and laughed. "No, I'm just the next step for Demons toward perfection. And now it is time to eliminate you from the gene pool!"

Beelzebub grunted as he felt Dark Specter backhand him. Spitting black blood, Beelzebub looked at Dark Specter in a rage. "How _dare_ you disrespect me! At least... finish... me with... dignity!"

Dark Specter laughed as he kicked Beelzebub in the gut, where Michael's sword attack had left behind a bad gash. "No, no... I hold no reverence to you. I owe you no sort of dignity." Dark Specter then picked Beelzebub up and threw him twenty feet forward. As Beelzebub fell to the ground, he bounced a few times before landing on a resting point.

"Ahhh!" Beelzebub screamed as he shot a blast of Black Energy at Dark Specter.

Dark Specter laughed as he outstretched his hand and caught the blast. He then infused the ball of power with more of his own energy, before sending it back at Beelzebub.

The Alpha Demon screamed in agony. "Stop this!"

"Oh, I will. I will stop this now. I will end you... now." Dark Specter replied gleefully. "Now _I_ am the Alpha Demon!"

"You're... _nothing_. You're... lucky Michael... weakened me..." Beelzebub sneered.

"Oh, yes. The Ethereal I so easily took care of." Dark Specter said.

Beelzebub chuckled. "Yes, but I... weakened... him for you... You may... strike me down now, but you'll... never know... whether you would have... _really_ been able to... defeat me if I had been at... full strength."

A roar of laughter erupted from Dark Specter. "Nice try! The 'temptation' of a real match was a nice attempt to allow you to escape, but no. I don't care about that. All I care about is winning. You were stupid enough to weaken yourself with your fraternal feud. Now I capitalize on it. _That's_ how people win. That's how _I_ win. And now for you, it's checkmate. Goodbye, Beelzebub." He then shot several blasts of BlackEnergy at the fallen Alpha Demon.

"Ahhh!" Beelzebub screamed. Pain rushed throughout his entire body. His vision began to blur. Clenching his fist, he roared and pulled himself up.

"Impossible!" Dark Specter screamed.

"I will end you!" Beelzebub roared.

Dark Specter yelled at him. "No! I will not allow this!" Focusing, the leader of the newly established United Alliance of Evil began to glow brightly. "I will use all of my powers to destroy you and everyone else in this valley!"

Beelzebub stared in awe as Dark Specter began to grow larger than he already was. He shot a few fireballs for Black Energy at Dark Specter, but none of them seemed to do more than annoy the growing Demon.

"And now I will end you!" Dark Specter cried out.

As he did, from above him in the sky, a portal opened up. Flying out of the portal was a man surrounded inWhite Energy and White Magic.

"Holy!" Castiel screamed. A large sphere of power erupted from him and slammed into Dark Specter.

"Ahhh!" Dark Specter roared.

Castiel landed on the ground and breathed in deeply. He looked up and Dark Specter and curled his upper lip into a snarl. "You don't defeat Beelzebub. Not here, not ever."

Dark Specter laughed. "And will you be the one to defeat me, little Ethereal?"

Castiel smiled. "No. I'll focus on Beelzebub. I was just buying time."

Dark Specter chuckled at what he saw as a bluff. "Really? For what?"

Castile pointed behind Dark Specter. "For him."

Turning around, Dark Specter saw the Gold Triforian Ranger standing on the edge of a cliff. Pointing at Dark Specter, the Gold Ranger said, "It's time to show you the true power of the Zeo Crystal! Power of Triforia: make me grow!"

Leaping off the cliff in Shadow Mode, the Gold Ranger was surrounded in Gold Morphing Energy. Leaving Shadow Mode and doing a frontflip, he grew to be as tall as Dark Specter. He then slashed the massive Demon with his Power Staff. As sparks erupted from the lava golem, he performed a roundhouse kick to Dark Specter's face.

As Dark Specter fell to the earth with a mighty thud, he thought: _I hate to admit it, but... Beelzebub_ _did_ _have influence over me. His call coaxed me to come to him. This isn't how I play my chess game. I am both the queen and king on the board. I am too valuable a piece to lose._

Gold Ranger could hear Dark Specter laughing. "What are you laughing about? It's a weird thing to do right before your funeral, you know."

"I'm just thinking about how I will get my revenge on you by destroying Triforia. Until next time, GoldRanger." Dark Specter said. He then became a Demon Cloud and flew up into space.

 _Better power down, then. This is sapping my powers to no end._ Gold Ranger thought to himself as he began to shrink to normal size. He looked over and saw Castiel attaching Beelzebub. As he ran to join him, he saw something out of the corner of his eye: Trinity had found Tria and was holding her up by the throat.

"You will now go back to being dead!" Trinity screamed. As she was about to squeeze her neck until it broke, Gold Ranger in Shadow Mode slammed into her.

"... thank you..." Tria managed to cough. She then blinked several times as she saw the Gold Ranger.

"Tria!? You're alive!?" Gold Ranger demanded.

She nodded. "Long story. How did you know to come here?"

"Dimitria. She called us to come and help." Gold Ranger replied.

"Us?" Tria asked.

Gold Ranger pointed behind her. Turning, Tria saw the reinforcements they so desperately needed. Power Rangers and Animal Warriors every which way, battling the hordes of Hidiacks, Rinshi, and Batlings all across Angel Grove.

Magna Defender ran through the field, masterfully wielding his blade and slashing his foes. "My skills are too much for you to match. Surrender now."

Leaping over him was the Red Space Ranger. "Hey, Magnus... maybe you should explain that that you're still gonna slay them, regardless of whether or not they surrender."

Smiling behind his visor, Magna Defender stabbed a Hidiack through the stomach. "Ah, but where is the excitement in that?"

A few yards away, the Silver Space Ranger used her blade to slash through a group of Monsters. "Team? Time to go Mega Mode!"

"Mega Black!"

"Mega Pink!"

"Mega Blue!"

"Mega Yellow!"

"Mega Red!"

The Mega Space Rangers then promptly began to help with destroying the enemies in the area. They were quickly accompanied by the Aquitar Rangers, who quite suddenly appeared on the scene and began streaking about quickly, causing great damage, themselves.

Jinxer frowned. "Batlings! It is time to make things for the Power Rangers hard! Grow with the help of the Demon Card!"

Chucking several cards, many of the Batlings found a Demon Card plunged into some random part of their body. Before they knew it, they were growing.

"Great! Now what!?" Aquitar Yellow demanded.

"We'll handle this." Master Mao said, appearing from a portal Dimitria had patched over to him. Behind him were Phant, Swoop, and Finn. "Black Lion! Now!"

With a roar, Black Lion leapt over a mountain. Following him were several other Animal Warriors, ready for battle.

"Ready?" Faor asked Leon.

Leon laughed as he rushed at a Batling. "This sure beats guard duty at the Ancient City!"

As he bit the Batling, Lobo ran by and shouted, "Hey! Just make sure you don't mess up! We're lucky to be receiving another chance!"

Ingat howled as she pounced onto a Batling. "Let's just hurry up and finish these clowns!"

Nago laughed. "They're actually Demons, not clowns."

"Ha. Ha." Galcon said as he picked a Batling up and slammed him into a mountain wall.

Down on the ground, Tria turned to look at the Gold Ranger, who had place the unconscious Trinity to the side. "Who are you? How do you know me?"

Demorphing, Tria saw Trint before her. "You!? Wow... what happened to Trinia?"

Trint shook his head. "After you... well... died... she couldn't handle it anymore. She put up the powers and I took over for her. Long story short, that is."

Tria swallowed. _It's not my fault, but... I still feel like I'm to blame._

Before she could say more, she heard some screaming coming from the side. Tria and Trint turned and saw the Gaia Rangers fighting, still ignoring what was occurring around them.

"Please! Stop this!" Gaia Black yelled as Gaia Pink blasted him.

"We don't want to hurt you!" Gaia Blue said.

Gaia Yellow laughed as she attacked him. "Oh, but I want to hurt _you_."

Tria looked over to Trint. She was eyeing the Power Staff. "Umm... Trint... I was wondering if..."

Trint laughed and placed the Power Staff in her hands while still holding its shaft. "You're the first Gold Ranger. _Of course_."

Tria watched as the Gold Zeo Energy left Trint's body down his arm, into the Power Staff, and back into Tria. She was hit with a jolt of pain. "Ahh! I forgot about that..."

"Why does that happen, by the way?"

Tria smiled. "I guess I cut off a larger chunk of the Zeo Crystal than I originally had intended. Makes for a strong Power Ranger, though."

Trint nodded. "You're telling me. I feel so... weak without it now."

Tria smiled and looked back to the fighting Gaia Rangers. "One last time... it's morphin' time! Gold Rangerpower!"

After a burst of Gold Zeo Energy surrounded her, she looked down and found that she had once again become the Gold Ranger. Laughing, she got into Shadow Mode and slammed into Gaia Pink before hitting Gaia Yellow.

Landing, she looked at the male Gaia Rangers. "You shouldn't be too afraid to get rough."

Gaia Red shrugged. "I didn't want to hurt them. I mean... what's going on?"

As she began to explain, another voice said, "They are infected with Red Rage. It's caused by a fighter close by."

Gold Ranger spun around and laughed. "Zrin!?"

Zocato Ranger walked out from a portal and nodded. "That's me. September calculated that if I get here now and subdue Orion, we can leave without changing this timeline. Otherwise, bad things will happen..."

"Who's this guy?" Gaia Black asked the Blue Ranger.

Gaia Blue shrugged. "Don't know. Don't care. I do have a question, though. Why weren't we affected by this 'rage'?"

"Marvelous had a Demon in him for two thousand years. He's resistant to emotional mood swings. Guy is a very relaxed person and it takes a lot to rile him up. And you, Joe? You're always angry, so you didn't feel a difference." Zocato Zrin explained.

Gaia Blue nodded. "Makes sense. Okay, Guy. Let's go help Marv with the girls."

Gold Ranger then turned to Zocato Zrin. "About what you said about not changing the timeline... that means we won't change it all? What about Diabolico? What about my sister?"

"We have to let Diabolico go. He is directly connected to Orion's rage. Trinity's destiny is still up in the air, though. You go take her to safety while I try to bring in Orion." Zocato Zrin said.

Gold Ranger nodded. As she used Shadow Mode to bound over to Trinity, Zocato Ranger used a Meledon Conversion to tap into the Speed Force and run around until he found a crater with high levels of Red Energy.

 _Bingo._ Zocato Zrin thought. Leaping into the crater, he saw Nathadian: Rage torturing Diabolico.

"Orion!? Stop this!"

Nathadian: Rage turned around and scowled. "Stop!? Why would I do that!? Don't you remember fighting him back home!? How he helped destroy everything!?"

Zocato Ranger shook his head. "Orion... you know he's not the same person."

Nathadian: Rage clenched a fist. "But he would do the same things! You know how these Demons are! Besides... the Guardian said for me to destroy him!"

Zocato Ranger sighed. "That's before your influence started messing with those around you. When you tapped into the Red Spectrum, you infected those who had been around you. We have to let Diabolico go."

Nathadian: Rage screamed as he slammed the nearly comatose Diabolico to the ground. "No! I will get revenge! You won't stop me!"

Zocato Zrin sighed. The Guardian had told him to come prepared for a situation like the one he was facing. "Amaradon Conversion: Blue Battery."

Suddenly, Zocato Ranger had become a Ranger identical to what Nathadian and Meledon Rangers had become when they had tapped into their Blue Battery Modes. The familiar emblem seen on their tight fitting suits appeared on him.

Future: Omega Ranger looked closely as the helmet disappeared. Before the mask appeared over his eyes and turned his hair blue, he caught a glimpse of what Zrin looked like. He had a kind face with a darker skin complexion. He had some stubble on his face, black hair atop his head, and warm eyes, a light brown color.

Nathadian: Rage shot several Rage Spheres at Zocato: Hope. The Blue Ranger simply shot out some BlueEnergy, neutralizing the attacks and stopping it from spreading again.

"Fine! Nathadian Blast!" Nathadian: Rage screamed.

Zocato: Hope frowned. "Zocato Shield!"

"Stop this, Zrin!"

Zocato: Hope sighed. "Okay, Orion. I will end end this completely. I'm sorry. Amaradon Conversion: Violet Battery."

Zocato Ranger hardly changed. His suit went from blue to violet. The Hope emblem was replaced with Love Mode symbol, which looked like a radiating star in the shape of a cat's eye.

He had been avoiding using that mode, but he knew it was was the only weapon he could use to destroy Orion's rage. As the Violet Energy swept over Zocato: Love, he saw those whom he loved over his life. He felt a great pain knowing that they had been destroyed. He gritted his teeth together and endured the painful memories. He then shot a Violet Energy Blast from himself, mixing Zocato power into it to also disarm the Nathadian Magic.

Every bit of Zocato: Love wanted to leave and save Trinity as he saw a demorphed Orion fall. Fighting the impulse, the Zocato Ranger returned to his normal base armor. Sighing, he activated a time vortex and rushed Orion in, to ensure Orion wasn't catabolized by the foreign timeline. Knowing the Guardian trusted him, he bowed his head and disappeared into the vortex as well.

Meanwhile, Castile flipped through the air, dodging an attack from Beelzebub. "I have been sent here to exterminate you, Demon."

Although not very mobile, Beelzebub's powers were being cranked out like a cornered animal. He had tried initially to escape via Demon Cloud after Dark Specter had escaped, but Castiel had cast a halo of White Energy over him, trapping him in his physical form.

"Who sent you? How do they know of such powerful Magic!?" Beelzebub demanded.

Castiel shot a blast at Beelzebub. "Some old friends of yours. They call themselves the Tribunal of Magic."

" _Them_..." Beelzebub managed to say before getting hit. To Castiel's surprise, Beelzebub was still able to pull himself back up.

"You are powerful, Alpha Demon. But I have been given enough power to end you once and for all." Castiel said as he pulled out a small, silver blade.

Beelzebub felt tremendous power from the blade. He flexed the muscles in his arms and roared before saying, "Fine, then Ethereal. Let's see if you can finish what your king could not."

Castiel breathed in deep. "Yes. Let's."

Massive wings erupted from Castiel's back. He then lifted up his arm with the blade and flew forward with amazing speed, ready to battle Beelzebub one last time.


	57. Pt0-Chapter29:Witness Protection Program

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Witness Protection Program**

 _Thirty Years Later..._

App looked at his monitor and smiled. An encrypted message was flashing in his message feed. He knew it could only mean one thing: Emma was ready to deliver her child.

A few decades prior to that day's event, Ninjor had finally decided to make himself a complete mystery to the universe. He had already been something of a myth, but sightings of him during certain battles spread and perpetuated the belief that he was real. There were certain rumors to Ninjor's identity, some actually close to the truth. The closest one App had heard over the few centuries that he existed was that Jor had been obliterated in a battle, but because he was so valiant and had such willpower he had been able to transfer what even some scientists called his 'lingering will' into some battle armor. After that theory had picked up some steam with fanboys of the Morphing Masters, the community had begun calling Ninjor a nickname: the Lingering Sentiment.

App could remember the meeting in which they decided it best for Ninjor to retire and open up his Ninja Academies to continue his work. During that same meeting Mary, who had become the de facto leader of the Nathadians, had related the problems her people had been facing. Apparently there had grown a different sort of fanbase than those speculating about the mysteries of the Morphing Masters. They were treasure hunters. If one could divide those who were fans of the Morphing Masters, they would be classified in general as those who theorized and those who applied the theories.

These "treasure hunters" had become very much aware of the Nathadians, since they were mostly preoccupied with seeing what artifacts were left in the Ancient City. Since that had been where the Nathadians had taken residence, with the very purpose of defending said city, the treasure hunters and Nathadians had grown to have a very difficult relationship.

Seeing an opportunity to live a more peaceful life, Mary had suggested that one of the branches of these "secret Morphing Masters" would be in charge of defending the Ancient City, while she and the surviving Nathadians would move onto a different part of the universe, to live out their lives and try to perhaps reestablish their people. Sentinel Knight had also been concerned with their recent acquisition of their Greater Power, so he was ready to head along with the plan, to ensure the Greater Power would not be in danger of being captured.

The Nathadians had relocated to a planet some ways out of the way of common space traffic on a planet called Phaedos. There, they decided to keep their Nathadian Magic a secret from the universe and went into seclusion. While there, they had created a monolith that would house their Greater Power, while also creating a temple a ways away to practice the ways of the Ninja.

Ninjor had come with App, Sentinel Knight, and the Nathadians for one last mission. While there, he had helped create the monolith to access their Greater Power. He went as far as embedding a piece of his own power within the defense mechanism of the monolith, requiring one to be at peace with their inner Ninja Spirit to be able to access the Greater Power of the Nathadians. He had even given a new name for that combination of Nathadian Magic and Ninja Power with Morphing Energy: Ninjetti.

After Ninjor performed his last deed by infusing the Nathadian Temple on Phaedos with this new Ninjetti power, he bid his long time friends farewell and returned to the Temple of Power in the Magic Realm on Earth. From there on out, for thirty years, the Nathadians lived in relative peace and did not participate in any of the minor conflicts that occurred in the universe. Even the bitterness that constantly plagued Will had calmed down.

While these memories played out in App's mind, he made his way to his personal space shuttle. He knew Sentinel Knight would beat him to Phaedos, so he needed to fly as fast as possible to not miss the baby's first breath. This was a monumental moment for the Nathadians, because this birth would be the first of their people to be born since the destruction of their universe. This would also give Emma and Baelfire a second chance at being parents, helping them fill a hole in their hearts left by the loss of their son, Henry.

Speeding through the universe, App found himself entering the atmosphere around Phaedos. He landed near the temple and made his way to the forest. Focusing on his enhanced tap to the Morphing Grid, he teleported himself to the location he knew was the normal habitat for the Nathadians.

As he appeared, he smiled as he saw Tidus and Yuna standing outside of a hut. "Tidus! Did I miss anything!?"

Tidus frowned. "Actually, yes... there are some complications with the delivery. It's not looking good. Ninjor is in there right now. They are trying to channel enough Morphing Energy to help her, but her body is struggling..."

Yuna squeezed Tidus' hand. She and Tidus had married years prior. They had grown very close over the time after Lothor's defeat. It had started out rocky, especially after Tidus had, time after time, attempted to stop Yuna and Rikku from joining the Morphing Masters. Things eventually cooled down after Yuna and Rikku were voted in, with Tidus explaining the reason he had been against her joining was due to his deep feelings for her.

App sighed. "After all of this... this isn't what any of us need."

As he said that, he suddenly saw a flash of light in the sky, above the monolith.

Tidus caused his sword, Excelsior, to appear in his hand. "Did you expect company?"

Shaking his head, App cracked his neck. "No. Why would someone be here?"

Yuna pulled out her handguns and said, "Well, let's make sure they don't find the monolith."

The three focused on their taps to the Morphing Grid and teleported themselves to where it seemed the object was landing. Arriving at the spot, they saw that, sure enough, it was a ship. One they had seen in the past. It belonged to the leader of the treasure hunters that had plagued the Nathadians for years.

"Captain Mutiny..." Tidus said with a sneer.

As he did, Mutiny's right hand man, Barbarax, stepped out of the ship. "The Morphing Master led us to the spot, just like you said, Captain!"

Captain Mutiny lumbered out behind Barbarax. "Yar. I told ye that those who guarded the Ancient City were still around. I could feel their energy signatures through my sensors, dancin' around these here parts of the universe. When I saw that Morphin' Master flying in this direction, I guessed he would send us here!"

App felt his stomach tie up in a knot. "It's my fault. I was in such a hurry to get here, I didn't check to see if anyone had followed me..."

Tidus shook his head. "Don't worry about it. The universe is full of scum. We can't be on guard _all_ of the time."

Yuna, who had already put her guns away, had begun glowing as her staff materialized in her hand. "I'll take care of this..."

Tidus frowned. "Are you sure? Isn't that overkill?"

Yuna shook her head. "I'm just going to scare them off is all."

Suddenly, the Dragon Animal Spirit descended down from the universe onto the ground. Captain Mutiny spat as he saw Bahamut rear his head and roar.

"This planet is inhabited by mighty beasts!" Barbarax declared, pointing his axe at Bahamut.

Mutiny nodded. "Aye! Let us return with reinforcements!"

Yuna directed Bahamut to shoot a flare ball at the ground at their feet. This caused them to march double time back to their ship. Within moments they were airborne again, speeding off into space.

"They'll be back..." App said, concerned.

Tidus shook his head as Yuna caused the Bahamut Spirit to return to the Spirit Plane. "No. I'll crank up the blocker and jam any signals that come within a lightyear of here. They'll never be able to retrace their steps."

"Good thinking." Yuna said. "Now, let's return to Emma."

Teleporting back, they were shocked to see Mary outside the hut, crying aligned Will held onto her.

"What is it!?" Tidus demanded.

Will frowned. "Emma just gave birth to the girl. She's doing very poorly, though."

"Can't you do something!?" Yuna cried out.

"Sentinel Knight power." Tidus said, morphing into Sentinel Knight. "I'll try."

Sentinel Knight swallowed hard as he entered the hut. He didn't know if the Corona Aurora would be able to help him in this situation. He had scattered the gems of the Crown of the Gods around Earth some time before that, because he figured even if someone was able to get the crown from him, the crown would not be nearly as potent. What prompted him to do so was an incident that had happened many years before, closely following the events that led to Lothor's destruction. At one point, Tidus had decided that he would not carry the Corona Aurora on his person and would leave it on what he thought was a secure planet. What he had not known was that the two thieves who had tried to gain the Corona Aurora before, Moltor and Flurious, still had their eyes on the crown. What _they_ did not know was that the Nathadians had taught a protective spell to Tidus that he had used to create an enchantment over the crown. When they had tried to take the crown, the enchantment transformed them into hideous Monsters that reflected who they were on the inside. The enchantment went so far as to teleport each of them to distant planets and trap them in an unending sleep. After that had happened, Tidus had decided to keep the crown on him at all times, but to place the jewels on Earth in hidden places, with the High Ones keeping a close eye on the jewels. The only reason the still powered him at all, without said jewels, was due to its connection to both him and Excelsior.

Looking down at Emma, his heart felt heavy. Her cheeks were sunken in, as well as her eyes, which had dark circles around them, accentuated by her sheet white skin, which was even paler than usual. Her husband, Baelfire, squeezed her hand tight.

Yuna furrowed her brow as she followed Sentinel Knight. "Why don't they do some sort of Meledon Conversion on her or something? I mean, Mary is of the Order of Meledon."

App shook his head, walking beside Yuna. "The powers of life giving are very limited for Nathadian Magic. It seems that whoever programmed this power or whatever didn't feel it justifiable to grant those of the Order of Meledon total power of death. At least that's what Mary said the lore tells."

Ninjor nodded, channeling Morphing Energy into Emma. "Yes. That is why Mary is outside. She tried helping Emma, but it didn't do much."

Sentinel Knight asked Baelfire for permission to place the crown on Emma's head. After Baelfire nodded, Sentinel Knight gently put the crown on her sweat drenched head. He looked down and noticed for the first time the infant girl nursing in Emma's arms.

Focusing with all his might, Sentinel Knight begin pumping power into Emma. Everyone gasped as they saw Emma glowing a bright orange color. Her eyes popped open and color rushed back to her face.

"Agh!" Sentinel Knight cried out, dropping to a knee and demorphing.

"Emma!" Baelfire said in amazement, hugging her.

"Tidus!? Are you okay?" Yuna asked, frightened.

He nodded. "I'll be fine. I'm just drained."

Emma smiled. "Jor? Could you bring in Will and my mother?"

As he walked out to do so, Emma looked down at the girl. "You are so precious..."

Baelfire laughed. "She has your eyes..."

Mary rushed in and hugged her daughter tightly. "Emma! You're okay! Thank you, Tidus!"

Tidus leaned against a wall, feeling dizzy, and nodded. "No problem."

App smiled and looked at the girl. "What's her name?"

Emma smiled and looked to Baelfire. "Dulcea."

"Beautiful name." Ninjor said.

"Yes, she- ugh!" Emma screamed in pain as her nose began bleeding.

Mary did a Meledon Scan on her as soon as she saw Emma in pain. "No... no!"

"What!?" Baelfire demanded.

"She's still... dying. It wasn't enough energy..." Mary said in horror.

Emma looked up at her husband. "Take care of her..."

" _We_ will raise her, Emma!" Baelfire half yelled.

She smiled at him. They stared into each other's eyes. Tears streamed down Baelfire's face. As the tears began to sting his eyes, Baelfire blinked. He stared on as Emma did not blink. He kept staring, hoping to will her eyelids to will move. The only thing he got in return was his wife's glassy eyed stare as he heard Dulcea begin to cry.

. . .

 _Three Years Later..._

App stepped through the portal into the Magic Realm. As soon as he had, he was hit in the chest by a stray Magic blast.

As he fell to his back, he kicked his legs back and performed a backflip, landing on his feet. Tapping into his Nina Spirit, he shot a blast out of his hand at a Swabby who was nearby. He sneered as he saw Captain Mutiny battling against the wizards, warlocks, and witches in the Magic Realm. He had heard that Mutiny had gotten wind that the Nathadians had relocated back to Earth, but when he heard that Mutiny had found a way to the Magic Realm, he knew it could have been only one person who could have helped him: Octomus.

App's suspicions were made fact when he spotted Tycon, the large, red, horned beast who was Octomus' main hitman, sprinting around and battling the warlocks and other magical wielders in the Magic Realm. App felt a bit at ease when he saw Sentinel Knight, Rikku, Yuna, Ivicar, and the other Morphing Masters running about, helping to defend the Magic Realm and its secret: the Nathadians.

App thought about how surreal the scenario was. Three years prior, when Emma had died after giving birth to Dulcea, Baelfire had decided he could no longer stay on Phaedos. He said it reminded him too much of the life he could have had with Emma, but had been stripped of him. After some discussion over the issue, they had all come to the conclusion that they would leave Phaedos and return to Earth, albeit in the Magic Realm. They would stay in hiding there, raising Dulcea. As for the Greater Power of the Nathadians, Sentinel Knight had decided that since no one knew about it, no one would try to get past his sensors and search for a planet that did not show up on their radars. He had even let out a "leak" alluding to how the Nathadians had left Phaedos, so those treasure hunters like Captain Mutiny would not try and get back to Phaedos, but simply try and hunt down the Nathadians. Unfortunately, their hunt actually did lead them to their true location, which thing Sentinel Knight had not planned on. He hadn't, nor had anyone else, considered the fact that someone like Octomus or Dai Shi would attempt to contact Mutiny.

App began running through the warzone, to try and get to the secret location where the Nathadians had set up their living arrangements before the power hungry hunters found them first. As he ran, a Swabby leapt at him, swinging a blade. Before App could react, fellow Morphing Masters Nime and Ding intercepted the attacker and destroyed him with a combined punch that was filled with Morphing Energy. The two of them, along with Coll, Ain, and Mirg, were the five people who had joined up with the Morphing Masters directly after the defeat of Lothor. They had been the ones who had set the Power Eggs off to sea, so that Bansheera could not get to them, or even detect them due to the blessed nature of the water given to it by the Nathadians. One Earth's waters, no Demon could detect it. Since Demons were the only villains aware of the Power Eggs still being around, it seemed like a good tactic to Sentinel Knight and the other Masters to keep it protected there.

Not having time to stop and thank them, App continued to run. Rushing past, he could see Ain and another new recruit to the Morphing Masters, a man who he had only known as king of the Cimmerian Planet named Elma Estro, battling Barbarax in the distance. As he raced by, he quickly shot a blast of Ninja Power and Morphing Energy at Barbarax and kept sprinting ahead.

As he continued, kicking Swabbies and ducking attacks, he saw Nime and Mirg riding atop Bahamut. They were stomping on Swabbies and shooting Morphing Energy infused blasts at those below them. He ran as fast as he could, actually having to weave around Bahamut's legs and hope to not get crushed.

Rolling out of the way of a massive explosion, he saw two Morphing Masters, Rikku and Princess Enet, leaping about and battling Tycon himself. Behind them was Yuna, concentrating as she began summoning more Animal Spirits into the battle. Many times when she went to summon Animal Spirits, she would need time to focus, so usually Rikku would stay behind and guard her cousin until she had stabilized the Animal Spirits onto the battlefield.

Not having the time to stop, App secretly wished them luck and continued sprinting. His thigh muscles were burning from the constant sprinting, but he knew he couldn't stop. He swore that he would protect his friends and he would keep that promise.

As he ran, he heard Tycon yell out some sort of Magic spell. Before he knew it, he could feel the ground shaking beneath him. Without a chance to react, he found himself rolling down a hill. He tried catching himself, but the force of the attack plus the force of gravity were winning over him. As he rolled down the rocky and grassy hill, he looked ahead and saw he was going to be heading straight to a cliff's edge.

"I got ya, App!" Another Morphing Master, Kagera, yelled. App felt Kagera's arms wrap around him. They both began rolling for a moment before Kagera was able to stabilize them.

"Thank you..." App said, trying to regain his normal vision.

"You have to make sure to tie your shoes next time!" Kagera said jokingly. App then watched as he charged Morphing Energy through his body and sprang up into the air, flying back towards the battle.

Channeling Morphing Energy himself, App began to leap through the forest he had just rolled through. His feet would touch ever so slightly on tree branches as he found his bearings on his location once again. Focusing, he continued back on his path to get to his friends.

As he gingerly stepped onto the branch of a certain tree, he felt a blast hit him square in the back. Screaming in pain, App fell to the ground face first. He could feel blood pouring out from his cut forehead, broken nose, and cut mouth. Moving his tongue around, he could feel several cuts in the inside of his mouth from where his teeth had dug into the gummy flesh of the interior of his mouth, caused by his sudden meeting with the hard ground.

Quickly turning onto he back, he saw Captain Mutiny pointing a blaster at him. "Oi, me matey! Haha! You led me to your secret friends once before, so I figured it would be a gerd ideer ter follow ya' once again!"

App spat blood onto the ground and, with a struggle, pulled himself up. "I won't make that mistake again!"

"But if ya don't get to yer friends, who's ta say one of me other crewmen won't get there first?" Mutiny asked, laughing at the conundrum he was trying to place App in.

"That's why we travel in groups!" One of the newer Morphing Masters, the leader of the Animal Realm in the universe named Animus, declared as he landed between App and Mutiny. He was a massive ape-like creature, covered in black fur and rubbery, grey skin. His silver armor shined brightly in the sun.

Mutiny barked with laughter. "Ya' think yer enough to scare me!? Ya' got yerself another thing comin', then!"

Suddenly, another of the newer members of the Morphing Masters appeared quickly behind Mutiny. He wore a violet colored armor and held a mighty looking sword in his right hand. In a deep and commanding voice, the man known as Koragg pointed his blade at Mutiny. "Stand down, _pirate_. This is your _only_ warning."

Mutiny slightly turned his head, to be able to catch Koragg in his line of vision. "Hmph. Alright, then. Let's dance, me boys."

Koragg nodded. "I was in the mood to sink my blade into something. App! We have this covered! Run!"

As App turned around and began running once again, letting Morphing Energy dance through him to heal his wounds, he could hear Koragg yell, "Power of the mighty Wolf Spirit! Hi-yah!"

App kept running until he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up on end. Knowing it was an indicator of the powerful shield around the Nathadians, App recited the Nathadian incantation he had been taught and found himself being transported through the magical matrix that comprised the membrane that surrounded the Nathadians housing area. Once accepted in, he quickly knew it had been a good thing that he had come.

"Corona Blast!" Sentinel Knight shouted, shooting an attack at Dai Shi.

"Uthe sastos!" App could hear a booming voice declare. He turned his head to see the massive being known to many as The Master, Octomus, transport himself using Dark Magic from one side of the field to another. He watched as Mary, in Meledon Mode, tried to keep up with the surprisingly quick Monster with her Red Magic.

"Yah!" Will screamed, shooting a blast from his sword to Octomus as he appeared, having predicted where the beast would appear from his teleportation.

"Hi-yah!" App yelled, channeling his Ninja Spirit and sending a blast to Octomus as well.

"App! This way!" Meledon Mary shouted as she teleported App over to her.

"How did they get in here!?" App demanded as he and Mary shot a Morphing Energy infused blast at the octopus.

"When he appeared, he began taunting us by saying he had been studying our force field since we appeared in the Magic Realm!" Meledon Mary explained. "I was so stupid for being so trusting that this paradise would last!"

"Where is Baelfire and Dulcea!?" App asked, dodging a fireball that was a mix of Dark Magic and Black Energy.

"They are hiding somewhere within the campsite!" Will yelled, joining App and Meledon Mary.

They watched as Dai Shi was able to surprisingly block an attack from Sentinel Knight, then rush over to be by Octomus' side.

"Give up! Give me your powers!" Octomus declared with a mighty roar.

Dai Shi laughed. "Or I destroy the girl!" From seemingly out of nowhere, Dulcea appeared in his right hand. He held her up in the air by the collar of her shirt. The three year old toddler screamed in fear.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Dulcea yelled in fright.

Almost as if on cue, a bloody and bruised Baelfire limped onto the scene. "Octomus... one of his tentacles ambushed me and... teleported Dulcea..."

"Let her go! She's only a child!" Sentinel Knight demanded.

"Then you won't have any problems giving me your Magic in exchange for her! Hahaha!" Octomus bellowed.

Dai Shi snickered. "Yes, I mean... she's your child and it's _only_ Magic, right? Unless you value your Magic more than the girl..."

He then squeezed the back of her tighter. "Ow! Daddy, help!"

Meledon Mary stepped forward. "Fine! We'll give you our Magic! Just let her go!"

"What are you-!?" Sentinel Knight began.

Meledon Mary raised up her hand and shook her head. "She's my granddaughter. You have no say in this, Tidus!"

Baelfire limped forward to be on Meledon Mary's right hand side. Will stepped up and took his place at her left. "Are you sure about this?"

Meledon Mary turned to look at her son-in-law and winked. "Oh, I'm sure. App! Get ready! Nathadian Containment Spell!"

With her white hooded robe on, she grabbed both Will's and Baelfire's hands. A massive blast of Nathadian Magic erupted from the trio, sailing toward Octomus.

Taking the cue he had been given by Meledon Mary, App focused and Ninja Streaked over to the distracted Dai Shi and ripped Dulcea out his hand, leaving a torn piece of fabric in the Dragon Monster's hand.

"No! Oderfni ihcilisab!" Octomus screamed. He reached deep down into his very soul to muster up every bit of Dark Magic and Black Energy that he could. He let out a gasp of pain as the spell shot out of his and blasted the trio's Nathadian Containment Spell. With the last bit of his power, he screamed out one final spell: "Basilichi infredo!" This transported both him and Dai Shi back to their Underworld, the Magic Realm's version of the Netherworld. As soon as they landed there, Octomus passed out from the massive attack. Dai Shi knew it would be many years before Octomus would be able to do anything else.

Meanwhile, Meledon Mary's eyes grew wide as she saw that their attack had not only been deflected, but _bounced back_ at them. The first thing she could think of to stop the attack from sealing them was what spilled out of her mouth, causing her White Mage Robe to become the dark blue one of a Time Mage: "Nathadian Time Spell!"

She watched, hoping the attack would slow down Octomus' counterspell. To her dismay, the attack hit the reversal spell but had not been able to saturate itself within the mighty curse. Will, Meledon Mary, and Baelfire were hit with the attack and disappeared in a bright flash of Red, Blue, and Dark Magic.

"No..." App said as he gripped Dulcea tightly.

"Where's Daddy!?" Dulcea cried out in a panic. "Daddy! Granny Mary! Uncle Will!"

Sentinel Knight clenched his fist. "Octomus has gone too far this time! No!"

App limped over to Sentinel Knight, exhaustion finally kicking in. "What do we do now, Tidus?"

Sentinel Knight looked over to App, seeing that he was gesturing toward Dulcea. Sighing, he dropped his head. "Unfortunately... I don't know. I've already started scanning the area for remnants of their Magic, but I'm not getting anything. I... I think they're truly gone."

"What!?" Dulcea said, tears beginning to accumulate in her lower eyelids.

Sentinel Knight looked up at App, then demorphed. "Listen, Dulcea... Your daddy had to go away."

"Why!?" Dulcea demanded, giving in to the crying.

"It was to save you. Now, I think he may be somewhere... but I don't know where. I promise you that I won't stop searching for him, understand? But until we can find him, you can stay with me, okay?" Tidus said.

"And Uncle App?" Dulcea asked, calming down.

App nodded, fighting back tears himself. "Most definitely. We'll take care of you until we find your family."

Tidus looked up at Tidus with determination on his face. "It was a Nathadian Containment Spell. It must have went wrong with whatever Octomus did and that time spell, but in the end it was still _only_ a containment spell. I know they are out there, and I _will_ find them."

. . .

Future: Omega Ranger clenched a fist. "That stupid Octomus! That guy was more of a horrible being than I had originally thought!"

Sophie's voice rang in his helmet. "Yeah... That was awful... And poor Dulcea..."

"Yeah. I remember her actually mentioning something to Zordon about how Sentinel Knight had raised her. It's actually pretty crazy how her life panned out." Omega said.

"Yeah... I showed up here right before you watched her sacrifice herself to destroy Ivan Ooze using the Greater Power of the Nathadians. You know, that's actually kind of cool." Sophie said.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Ivan Ooze was Ivicar, who was secretly one of those who helped, in a way, bring down the Nathadians. Her defeating him, with the Greater Power of her people, is kind of poetic in a way, you know?"

Future: Omega Ranger nodded. "Yeah, well it's also sad. We saw how Dulcea's life ended. From what we saw, she was never reunited with her family. I guess they really were destroyed..."

"Well, why don't you use your Third Eye to see if you could find something Tidus missed?" Sophie asked.

Considering, Future: Omega Ranger nodded. "That's a good idea. I hadn't thought of that."

The two of them watched as Omega struggled to recall the last scene from the vision that Alpha Ranger had placed in Omega Ranger's mind. As it was projected onto the screen of the Chrono Work Station, Omega Ranger concentrated on his Third Eye ability, locking onto Meledon Mary and creating what he had dubbed as a "bookmark" on her. As she vanished, he began focusing on her once again. He focused and focused as hard as he could. He began to feel his head throbbing as he tried desperately to find her. Suddenly, the image on the screen changed to that of a fractaled area, rich in deep colors.

"Ahhh!" Future: Omega Ranger cried out as he finally found the three Nathadians floating in the fractaled area.

"Where are they...?" Sophie asked.

Struggling, Future: Omega Ranger put his hands on the keyboard attached to his second projection screen. He searched the past files of the Power Ranger Archives, trying to find a location that matched with the one in which the Nathadians found themselves. He was quite surprised when he got a possible hit. He left the computer to process the difficult algorithm to find out the location as he turned and watched.

"Where are we...?" Will asked, looking around.

Mary closed her eyes and focused. "There's... so much Magic here! It's everywhere!"

Baelfire sighed. "We need to get out of here and find Dulcea."

"Agreed, mate." Will said, looking around. "Ugh, so many blinking colors everywhere!"

Mary opened her eyes in astonishment. "The Universal Magic Grid!"

"What about it?" Baelfire asked.

"We're in it! Somehow... We are in the Universal Magic Grid..." Mary said, taking in everything around her in astonishment.

"Well isn't this nice!?" Will yelled in anger.

"What?" Baelfire asked in confusion.

"After all of the blinking tragedy we have endured, we end up stranded in the middle of some weird collage of color. In some stupid existential place that is more of a concept than an actual place! No! No, no, no. It can't end like this! Everyone didn't lose their lives for it to end like this! Ana didn't..." Will said, clenching his fists in anger.

Mary shook her head. "We aren't powerless... We... We can tap into the Magic here." She then commenced a Meledon Scan. As she did, the red light began hovering around her.

"Meaning what!? Can we escape!?" Baelfire demanded, his mind set on Dulcea.

Mary opened her eyes and lifted her eyebrows, as if to shrug with her face. "Maybe... I don't know... What I do know is if we don't try, then we'll definitely be stuck here forever."

"What do we do, then!?" Will demanded.

"We need to open up and accept the Magic Grid. Like... be _one_ with it..." Mary said, the promptings of the Order of Meledon helping her wade through the information she had received in her mind.

"How...?" Baelfire asked.

Suddenly, the Chrono Work Station dinged. Turning around, Future: Omega Ranger was shocked at the location. It was the dimension for the Tribunal of Magic.

Reading it herself, Sophie said in awe, "Whoa... I would have never guessed..."

Turning back to watch what he was fairly sure was about to happen, Future: Omega Ranger stared at the projection. He heard Mary say, "Just... accept it."

Within moments, the White Spectrum of the Universal Magic Grid surrounded Mary. Will was next, having the Black Spectrum swallow him. Baelfire watched in awe as his mother-in-law emerged from the light, a featureless being draped in white. Will came out of the Black Spectrum in a similar manner. They both had what looked like large hats that fanned out at the top atop what appeared to be their heads.

"Are you okay?" Baelfire asked.

The White Figure nodded. "Yes, Baelfire. I am fine. I feel... amazing."

The Black Figure folded his arms across his chest. "So now, what!? Now I just look like I'm wearing a blinking costume!"

Baelfire looked to the White Figure. "Should I, then...?"

The White Figure nodded again. "I feel that is the only way for us to get out of here."

And like that, the Red Spectrum of the Magic Grid wrapped itself around Baelfire. He could feel it embedding itself into his very being. Before long, he emerged from the Red Spectrum as a Red Figure, like the other two Nathadians.

"Now what?" He asked.

The White Figure looked around. "Now we try to figure out how to manipulate this place. Once we do, then we can focus on leaving."

"And leave we will." The Red Figure said, looking around. "I have a daughter to get back to."

And with that, the projection ended again.

"What? No! There was to be something else!" Sophie demanded.

"Well, that's the end of the 'memory'." Omega said.

"That's just awful..." Sophie said.

Omega nodded. "So many consequences good people endure because of bad people. I mean... is it worth it?"

Sophie paused for a moment. "Well... if they hadn't sacrificed themselves... Done all they could... would you even exist?"

Future: Omega Ranger shook his head. "No... I mean... I remember when Z helped me out. I didn't know for very long, but she touched my life so deeply..."

"And how many lives have you touched? I mean, you've traveled through the timestream to help people!" Sophie said.

"Yeah... And maybe there's someone I touched whose life I changed, just like Z changed my life. Just like Dulcea changed Zordon's life and everyone else around her. I mean, it was because of her that he got the Meledon Ranger powers..." Omega remarked.

"And because of that, it led him to creating the Mighty Morphin' team. I mean, everything is just so entwined! Everything built up to our day and age!" Sophie said.

Nodding, Future: Omega Ranger pulled up the final file for Folder Three. "Yes... And we will build a foundation for a future generation, no matter the sacrifice. Just like those before us paved the way for us, we will pave the way for those who will come after us. It's up to us to save Earth. And I will do everything I can to do so. I _will_ get out of here, and I _will_ get to the bottom of this mess."


	58. Part 3 - Chapter 29: The Tribunal

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Tribunal**

Darkonda pulled himself out of the crater Nathadian Orion had thrown in him. It had been quite a long time since he had been beaten as badly as he had been. One of his eyes was swollen so badly that he could not see out of it. As he hobbled along, his sword dragged behind him, the tip making a trail behind him in the rocky dirt.

Outside of the bruises on his body, his ego was also badly bruised. Flashes of the near fatal torture from Nathadian: Rage lingered in his mind. Each image was of the Red Ranger swinging his fists repeatedly, bashing him in the face, stomach, and ribs.

With each hit, he felt like the man he had once been - Novact. He remembered growing up as a young boy, having been newly recruited as a member of the Morphing Academy. He had a stuttering problem and was made fun of by many of the students. Every hit to his face from Nathadian: Rage had brought back to his memory a pounding he had received in his youth.  
He looked to one side with his one blurry visioned eye. He could make out was a female Gold Ranger battling a group of Monsters, along with the Gaia Rangers. To the other side, he could see Magna Defender and the Space Rangers dealing massive damage to some Demons being assisted by the Chameleon Warrior. Straight ahead, he could see the Ethereal Castiel rushing forward to attack the mighty Alpha Demon, Beelzebub.

Defeated both physically and mentally, Darkonda decided to leave the scene. Creating a vortex before him, he stepped in and vanished.

. . .

Lord Zedd was brought back to reality from his daze as Dark Specter returned to his throne room, back to "normal" size, seeing as the massive Demon was over nine feet tall. Stepping forward, Zedd asked, "What happened, oh mighty Dark Specter?"

Grunting in pain, Dark Specter replied by saying, "I let my pride get the best of me. I put the United Alliance of Evil at risk and went into battle myself. My hubris was almost my downfall, as I saw a power I did not recognize that was enough to almost topple me. Luckily, it was not that power that I had grapple with, but that of the Gold Triforian Ranger."

Zedd nodded. "Yes, he is mighty in strength."

Nodding, Dark Specter put up a hand. "Chynn!?"

The fiery being walked into the room, as if he was always hovering around the chamber ready for Dark Specter to summon him. "Yes, my master?"

"Show us an image of what is happening in the place Zordon has named 'Angel Grove'." Specter commanded.

Nodding, Chynn waved a hand and created fire hologram to appear as a projection on the wall. Zedd and Dark Specter watched as the battle occurred.

Turning to Lord Zedd, Dark Specter said, "I want some sort of revenge on Earth. Can you summon that beast you did before? Lokar?"

Zedd shook his head. "He was an ally of Rita's. I know not how to summon him."

"What of the Ghost of Darkness and his time altering wizard?" Dark Specter asked.

"The same goes with them." Zedd answered.

"Hmph. It seems as if Zordon played a good hand in ridding me of Rita instead of you." Dark Specter said.

The words hit Lord Zedd like scalding hot water. Even gone, he felt as if in some way he was living in the shadow of the woman who was his servant. He knew he would need to do something to redeem himself in Dark Specter's eyes. He only hoped with his new assignment in a new solar system, he could do enough to give him a new reputation. As he thought these things, he stared at the battle ensuing on the hologram.

"You are a fool." Magna Defender could be heard saying as he slashed at Chameleon Warrior.

As sparks erupted from her armor, she staggered back and grabbed at the place on her chest where she had been struck. "Agh! You're the fool for thinking you can defy Octomus and Dai Shi!"

Magna Defender chuckled as he pointed his blade tip at Chameleon Warrior. "Ah, yes. The Dragon who I heard has just been captured by the Order of the Claw. I am sure I should be very wary of your failed master."

"Do not speak such ill words of the mighty Dai Shi!" Chameleon Warrior shouted, racing forward. As she did, she threw one of her sais at Magna Defender. As he blocked the aerial weapon, she went low and swung her other sai at his torso.

With expert timing and his intuition increased by the Morphing Grid, Magna Defender reached with his free hand and wrapped it around Chameleon Warrior's neck, taking the attack to the torso without flinching. He then lifted Chameleon Warrior up into the air and glared at her helmet from behind his own helmet's visor.

Chameleon Warrior coughed and laughed. "Im… impressive!"

Magna Defender nodded. "I know." He then tossed her up into the air and swung his sword at her, slashing her multiple times. Sparks rained down on him from the attack as she was jettisoned forward from the force of Magna Defender's attack. The mighty warrior watched as the villain crashed to the ground, rolling around the dirt as she demorphed.

Spitting blood, she was able to pull herself onto all fours. Sweat covered her face, with her hair clinging to her brow.

"Do you give up, or do you fancy another beating?" Magna Defender asked, walking calmly toward Camille.

Camille stared at the awesome sight of Magna Defender approaching her. Although around him a massive war ensued, ranging from the Aquitar Rangers streaking about to decimate Octomus and Bansheera's forces, to the massive Animal Warriors galloping about, battling the giant Batlings that had been created by Jinxer. The sight was so terrifying to her, since she was his target, Camille decided it would be best to live and fight another day. She recited one of the only incantations she knew and teleported herself back to her base of operations.

Appearing in the dirty dungeon that housed the massive Octomus, she looked around. She groaned as she pulled herself up to her feet. Leaning against the wall, she began to cry. She looked down at herself, seeing her dirty Order of the Claw uniform still on. Taking her hand off the wall, she saw it was suddenly covered in whatever disgusting thing that had begun to grow in that dingy dungeon.

 _What have I done!?_ She thought as she plopped back down on the ground, sobbing. _I was a Master of the Order of the Claw! Have I thrown it all away… my life? Dai Shi promised so much, but look at me now! I'm alone and without anyone! Scorpina is gone… the being who promised me more power than Mao could ever give me has actually_ _fallen_ _to Mao… Even my old rival, Guin, is gone. I have nothing left!_

"I'm such a fool!" Camille cried out in agony. Her wailing echoed in a cacophony of pain off the walls of the dungeon. On her knees, she screamed as she pounded her fists into the dungeon floor.

"Oh, poor sweetie." Necrolai said, emerging from the shadows. "What a shame you have lost your spine." Necrolai said this as she bent over, placing a hand under Camille's chin and lifting it up.

"What are you still doing here!?" Camille demanded, wiping tears from off her face. "The Master is gone. I know your allegiance is with him. Why don't you go back to the Underworld where he is, running like a coward!"

"You bite your tongue!" Necrolai said, slapping Camille. Blood trickled down Camille's cheek from the claws on Necrolai's fingertips. "I will only give you one more chance. Do not _ever_ speak ill of The Master again!"

Camille sneered. "Well… still, what do you want with me?"

Necrolai turned around and chuckled, placing a hand to her mouth. "I happened to be watching your battle over in the Grove of Angels and saw how pathetic you were against the Magna Defender. I just came here to see what the last of the mighty Dai Shi's army looked like in its last moments."

"Last moments!?" Camille demanded. "How can you say that!? This is not the end of Dai Shi! He still lives on in the compound of the Order of the Claw! He will return to power one day, like a phoenix from the ashes!"

"Him!? Like a phoenix! Ha! He was always a brute in comparison to the mighty power of The Master!" Necrolai said, laughing almost uncontrollably.

Camille pulled herself up to her feet. "The Phoenix is a mighty Animal Spirit! If Dai Shi wished, he could have mastered that Animal Spirit if he wanted… And he can. You will see! It is not the end of Dai Shi!"

"Well, then you may have to wait until that day comes…" Necrolai said, smiling to herself as she had her back still turned to Camille. The real reason for her appearance in the dungeon was soon making itself apparent.

"What do you mean!?" Camille demanded.

"Well, you're a failure, Camille. You are nothing. The Master has seen your incompetence and has said that if you ever step foot before him again, he will destroy you." Necrolai lied. She saw the current events as a way to make her way up the ladder in Octomus' army. She had always thought Dai Shi had no place within Octomus' plan, other than to fill some weird void Octomus seemed to need filled, the one for a friend. She did not understand why the friendship they had formed millions of years prior was so important to Octomus. Perhaps if she knew the guilt Octomus felt for abandoning his brother, Octoroo, it would make more sense to her. Regardless, all she knew was with Dai Shi gone, a massive restructuring was to occur within the Underworld. If she could get rid of someone who could potentially take a spot as a general under Octomus, she would do so. Seeing Camille in such a fragile state, and after the couple of thousand of years working beside her, she knew she had a soft spot for Dai Shi. Instead of engaging Camille in physical combat, she could see a mere mental manipulation would be far less dangerous to her, and just as effective.

Camille bowed her head in shame. "I… I failed Dai Shi… The Master is correct. But, what should I do!?"

Necrolai giggled silently to herself. "Well, prove your faith in the mighty Dai Shi."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning… Stay here. Be here when he returns triumphantly through those front gates. Imagine how grateful he will be to you when he sees that you have been here, knowing that he would escape and come here to reform his empire. He will surely forgive you for your misdeeds… and give you back your place within the army that he and The Master have created."

Camille looked down at her dirty uniform. Her dirty hands. She then threw her hands up into the air and, with the power of her Animal Spirit and the Morphing Grid, changed her clothes. They became ornate robes. Even her hair changed in appearance.

"Fine, Necrolai." She said, standing proud to show her confidence in Dai Shi. "I will stay here and wait for Dai Shi. And when he returns, he and I will ride in triumphant to the Underworld and rejoin the crusade to get the Greatest Treasure in the Universe."

Necrolai nodded. "Of course, Camille. Whatever you say. Until the next time we meet!" Then, with the snap of a finger, Necrolai conjured up a portal and vanished within it.

Camille pursed her lips. "You'll see, Queen of the Vampires. Long after Octomus has been slayed, Dai Shi will still be standing." Then, tapping into her Animal Spirit, Camille camouflaged herself to blend into the wall. To spend her time within the ancient building until the return of the mighty Dai Shi.

Meanwhile, Necrolai emerged from her portal before Octomus.

"And what of Camille?" Octomus asked.

"Destroyed, unfortunately." Necrolai said.

Grunting in displeasure, but Camille not meaning enough to him to verify Necrolai's report, Octomus whipped up one of his tentacles. "Morticon!? Come in immediately!"

With many pieces of his body replaced with cyborg parts, Morticon walked into the room wielding the Fang of the Master. Unknown to much of the universe, Morticon had been receiving these robotic body parts from Deviot. When Dai Shi had first been commissioned to find a new arm for Tycon, he and the aforementioned servant had run across a dying Deviot, who had been infected with Black Energy that was rotting his body. They found him attempting to save his rotting body parts by converting them into machinery. Dai Shi had threatened to destroy the Alpha Shapeshifter if he did not create a new arm for Tycon. From that point onward, Tycon and Dai Shi had forged a relationship with Deviot for him to be the supplier for Tycon's body parts. When Tycon had finally succumb to his wounds, Deviot had been able to bring Tycon back to life, although his body had been lifeless for so long his red skin had turned blue. From that point onward, Tycon had taken the name Morticon to represent the new life he had, and the near immortality he possessed.

"Yes, Master!?" Morticon said, bowing before Octomus.

"I feel that I still need to have a wielder of an Animal Spirit amongst my generals. We have, unfortunately, lost Camille." Octomus told Morticon.

"I will learn to wield an Animal Spirit, then, Master!" Morticon declared, placing his forearm horizontally across his chest in a salute.

"I value your ambition, Morticon, but no. I have something else in mind." Octomus said. Concentrating, Dark Magic and Black Energy surrounded one of his eyes. Suddenly, and much to Necrolai's disgust, Octomus' eye plopped out of its socket, separating itself from the nerves that led to the brain and the various blood vessels of the body. As the evil Magic cauterized the place where his eye once was, the eye descended and looked at Morticon.

"Morticon! Point your sword, the Fang of the Master, at my eye! Your essence has fused with a piece of me after all of these years and, even through death, you stand by my side! With the power of my necromancy and my enhanced Magic due to my presence here in the Magic Realm, I combine your loyalty with my power to summon forth a new champion!" Octomus declared.

As he did, Purple Morphing Energy and Black Emotional Energy erupted around the eye. Years prior, during a battle on Earth against that incarnation of the Morphing Masters, Octomus had been able to trap the Spirit of one of the Morphing Masters in his eye. He had kept it in him for many, many centuries. Octomus had kept the Spirit within his eye for that amount of time to be able to infuse a bit of himself into the Spirit, to corrupt it and bend it to his will. What Octomus did not know was that the waste energy of the universe had been attracted to the displaced Spirit within Octomus' eye, as was the nature of Spirits that did not cross over to the Afterlife. Without knowing it, the Spirit within Octomus had become a Demon. A Demon who, thanks to the infusion of Octomus' essence and the loyalty from Morticon, was completely subservient to Octomus. With the apparent destruction of Camille, Octomus had decided he had kept this ace up his sleeve long enough.

Staring in awe and terror, Necrolai watched as a purple Demon Cloud emerged from the eye's pupil. It formed into an armor that Necrolai had not seen for eons. A helmet appeared before the head's face unblurred. The familiar sword of the mighty warrior appeared in the armored hand of the fighter. Octomus' eye then formed into a mighty purple shield, that floated into the armored warrior's other hand. As this occurred, the Purple Morphing Energy was fully accepted into the armor, while at the same time a howl of a wolf could be heard, merging with the fighter in a crackle of electricity.

The fighter looked from Morticon to Necrolai. Grunting in dissatisfaction at their perceived incompetence, he promptly turned his back to them and bowed down to a knee before Octomus. "Master! I have arisen once more, and I am here to do your bidding…"

"Master!? What is _he_ doing here!? We don't need him!" Necrolai demanded.

Clutching his sword and shield in anger, the warrior rose to his feet and growled in anger, turning to point his blade at Necrolai. "Quiet, _hag_. How dare you address The Master so flippantly? If you do so again, I will slay you on the spot."

Octomus laughed. "Good, my warrior! Yes! Now, introduce yourself to my other generals!"

The purple armored warrior puffed out his chest in pride. "I am an emissary of The Master. In one hand I wield my Knight Saber. In the other, my Wolf Shield that is fueled by the Eye of the Master. I am Koragg, the Knight Wolf."

. . .

Castiel thrust his arm forward, ready to plunge the iron blade into Beelzebub's heart. As he did, Beelzebub roared and thrust two of his arms down onto Castiel's back. Focusing, Castiel surrounded himself with a force field of White Energy, but missed his mark and stabbed one of Beelzebub's arms instead.

"Argh! What is that!?" Beelzebub demanded. He looked down and saw that arm wither away as Castiel pulled the blade out of the Alpha Demon's arm.

"This is a Demon Blade. It is made of iron, coated with White Energy, and inside of it there is a solid chunk of sodium, that actually substance you Demons are allergic to in salt." Castiel said.

Beelzebub roared again. "You will never get the opportunity to destroy me, fool Ethereal!"

"Maybe not alone!" Trinity said, flying forward and landing beside Castiel. She had recently awoken thanks to help from her fellow Triforian, Trint. He had helped by focusing some of remaining Zeo Energy into her to help her realign with her three selves.

"Ah, the creation of my ill intentioned brother." Beelzebub said. "Even with you, you stand no chance."

"What about all of us?" Zordon asked as Alpha 4 walked forward, holding the monitor showing his "floating head". He had just barely awoken as well. He and Saba had spoken about what had occurred to him, and they had decided that Zordon had exerted himself close to a threshold of his powers by being able to have his Nathadian Magic transcend his dimension to the main plane of existence on Earth, when he broke the spell over the Gaia Rangers and his wife, Trinity.

Hearing the word "us", Beelzebub took his eyes off Castiel and looked up. Seeing as he wasn't used to not having his second head to help give him an extra pair of eyes, he wasn't used to using his peripheral vision to see things outside of what he was focusing on. He had not noticed all of the fighters gathering around Castiel.

The White Aquitar Ranger got into a fighting stance. "It is time you faced your demise, Demon, once and for all!"

Gaia Pink clenched her fist in anger. "You have done nothing but cause pain and horror for all those in our universe. You will pay for your sins!"

"You will face the most exquisite form of destruction by our hands…" Magna Defender said, converting his sword into its blaster mode.

The Silver Space Ranger stepped forward as well. "The first Silver Ranger, Eric the Panama Ranger, fell by the hands of Demons. Today, we get vengeance on him!"

"I have seen the damage you have caused, starting eons ago…" The Gold Ranger, Tria, said. "Finally, you will perish…"

"Today, the Alpha Demon is no more…" Castiel said.

"I think not!" Beelzebub screamed. As he began to charge a massive Black Energy attack, he suddenly found himself encased in a massive stone capsule. "What is this!?"

Looking up, the group saw the Wizard of the Sands ride in on a stream of sand and dirt he rode upon. "It is good to see you again, my Gaia Rangers!"

Gaia Red put his fist in the air in triumphant. "Alright, guys! One last time! Let's make this showy!"

As he said that, Gokai Slayer blurred onto the scene. He looked over his shoulder as he gripped his Gokai Saber. "Today, I fight with you. Do not cross me."

As he finished speaking, Beelzebub burst out of the stone enclosure. Roaring, he began to charge forward to eradicate from existence those who stood before him. To buy them time, the Wizard of the Sands used his Earth Bending abilities to create massive pillars from the ground to appear before the Alpha Demon, slowly him down as he tried to destroy the pillars in his way.

"Powers of water!" Aquitar Red declared. Focusing, the Aquitar Rangers called upon the moisture in the air, which carried sodium from the nearby ocean, and formed the water into jets that shot at Beelzebub. With each spear-like jet that appeared, it stabbed into the Alpha Demon's body. He howled in pain with each stab.

"Galaxy Gliders, Hang Ten!" The Mega Black Space Ranger declared, being the field leader of this incarnation of the Space Rangers. His teammates pulled out their blasters as they rode upon their cycles and began firing down on the Alpha Demon.

Magna Defender looked back at Toro, his faithful friend. He saw that he and the other Animal Warriors were still busy battling Batlings. Seeing he had to do it alone, Magna Defender rushed forward. He jumped atop a pillar of earth as it rose up. Sailing into the air atop the pillar, Magna Defender jumped off the pillar and began leaping from column to column. Then, as he hovered above Beelzebub, he charged up with Morphing Energy and began spinning in the air. As he collected enough Morphing Energy, Magna Defender landed on Beelzebub and stabbed him in the back of the neck.

"Just thought my fellow Rangers would like a _head_ start…" Magna Defender said as he twisted the blade as it was plunged deep into the Demon's neck.

Trint looked to the Gold Ranger and gave her a thumbs up. "You know what to do."

Nodding, the Gold Ranger shifted her Power Staff into battle mode. She focused her sights on Beelzebub as he slammed into the ground, who was still shooting out blasts of Black Energy even though he had just been paralyzed. "It's time for a gold rush!"

Gold Zeo Energy surrounded her as she rushed forward. She stabbed the gem of the Power Staff into Beelzebub and began shooting orb after orb of Zeo Energy into the beast's inside.

With determination, Beelzebub began shooting shockwave after shockwave of Black Energy out of his body. It threw Magna Defender off of him, and the Gold Ranger and Trint onto their backs. As this occurred, Gokai Slayer found his way to Beelzebub and laughed. "It's like looking at a former life…"

"You will… _pay_ … for your… treachery…" Beelzebub coughed out as Gokai Slayer began slashing Beelzebub's face before stabbing him in the forehead.

"Dynamic Victory Charge!" Gaia Pink declared as her team got a clear shot. It sailed out of their combined weapons and blasted into Beelzebub's body.

"Ahh!" Beelzebub yelled, surprisingly still alive.

Trinity flew up into the air and began shooting volley after volley into Beelzebub. "Do it now!"

Castiel knew this was meant for him. He nodded and, wings sprouting out of his back again, darted forward. He weaved around column after column of earth until he arrived at the stalwart Alpha Demon. As he did, flashes of his life that had been affected by Beelzebub passed through his mind.

He thought of the goodness of Michael and Victor's father, Camal, who saw someone who he had thought was in need named Lilith and how he had let her into the kingdom on Eden. He remembered how, suddenly, Victor had seemed to become corrupted by her, suddenly betraying everyone. He remembered watching as Lilith's accomplice, Caius, had appeared on Eden and had begun his slaughter. His heart was in pain once again as he remembered watching Caius plunge his blade into the benevolent King Camal. He remembered the feelings of betrayal he had toward Victor for causing the gruesome murder.

He recalled how Victor had reemerged suddenly as what he said was the Alpha Demon, shortly before a trio of heroes named Brasca, Jecht, and Auron had given their lives to banish Caius and Lilith. He remembered Victor taking upon himself the name Beelzebub, and traveling the universe to amass an army of Demons under him.

Castiel could see the events that surrounded the Morphing Masters, and when both Michael and Beelzebub had been sealed away by Bansheera. He remembered the weight he felt on his shoulders as he was called upon to be the King of the Ethereals. He remembered the difficulty in deciding to step out of the affairs of the universe, having the only thing the Ethereals did be the Reapers, led by D, going around and helping Spirits cross over to the Afterlife.

Castiel remembered the difficulty in deciding, once he saw Bansheera try to come back into power and the resurgence of Demons such as Azazel, to get back into the universe and its conflicts. He remembered how, after he had found Michael, the disappointment he had felt seeing Michael had become deranged from his time in Bansheera's prison.

That wouldn't be the beginning of everything in Castiel's mind. Outside of his personal tragedies, he could only guess at what horrors others have had to endure because of the Demons.

 _Today is the first step toward the end of all Demons._ Castiel thought. With determination, he thrust the magical blade into Beelzebub's heart.

Beelzebub roared in pain. He could feel his body collapse due to his heart stopping. He coughed once before giving up the ghost.

Suddenly, Victor appeared on the battlefield, a Spirit. "Huh?"

D, the lead Reaper, walked up to him. "Hello, Prince Victor. It has been a long time."

Victor shook his head in shock. "What... what have I done?"

D pursed his lips. "You gave into your dark side, Prince. From there, you lost control."

Suddenly, a white portal opened up. Victor stared at it, fear enveloping him. "I... I wasn't in control for a lot of it, but I did choose to go down that path. The path of Demonhood. How will I be judged for my actions?"

D shook his head. "I don't know."

Suddenly, a hand emerged from the white light. Peering in, Victor could see Michael, smiling. "Come, my brother. Let us enter into our rest."

Victor looked from Michael to D. "I'm sorry..."

Nodding, D said, "I know."

Taking Michael by the hand, Victor stepped into the white light of the Afterlife. D watched as the portal closed.

At that, a time vortex opened up behind D. From out of the time vortex stepped out Chen, the Freelancer. Accompanying him was a familiar face: Zen, the man once known as Zen Aku, before he lost his soul.

Chen looked at D. "Is it done?"

D nodded. "They are now both in the Afterlife."

Chen looked to Zen. "Do you know what this means, Agent Z?"

Agent Z cocked his head to the side, then stared at Chen. "Yes, I do. Their presence was created by the interference of the Jumper who called himself the Omnipotent, when he crossed over to cause an amalgam universe to be created between this universe and his own. Now that they are gone, this timeline is closer to overcoming the Time Anomaly September introduced here."

Chen nodded. "Correct. Now the plans for the Traveler can continue with better efficiency. Agent D? Anything else to report?"

D shook his head. "No, Agent Chen."

"Then continue." Chen said as he and Agent Z walked back into the time vortex. As they did, D spread out his Ethereal wings and flew back up into space.

As he did Gokai Slayer, who had slipped away during the final moments of the battle, folded his arms while he finished observing. "So, Beelzebub is finally gone, and my existence is secured. And... it seems that Reaper has a bit of a secret..." Laughing to himself, Gokai Slayer blurred away to plan what he was going to do with his newly earned freedom.

As that occurred, the Wizard of the Sands descended. He landed before the entire crew as the last of the Batlings were destroyed by the Order of the Claw and the Animal Warriors. While he did that, Alpha 4 inspected Beelzebub's body. In doing so, he saw something shining within one of the gashes in the trunk of the corpse. Reaching in, Alpha 4 pulled out a shining, purple crystal. An odd presence emanated from the crystal, which Alpha 4 knew not was Black Energy. Rushing over to the monitor, Alpha 4 showed it to Zordon.

"Zordon? What is this?" Alpha 4 asked as everyone began speaking one with another in the background, amazed at what had just occurred.

Doing a Meledon Scan, Zordon furrowed his brow. "The only thing that keeps popping to my mind is a name... an _odd_ name... It's called 'The Evil'. Alpha? Please protect it for now. Take it back with us to the base so we can do further scans later."

Alpha 4 nodded. As he held onto the gem, Castiel approached Zordon. Bending over to look at Zordon, the Ethereal said, "Zordon of Eltar... I have a message for you."

Zordon nodded. "Okay. From who?"

"The Tribunal of Magic."

Zordon was intrigued. "What do they have to say? How do you know them?"

"I had heard rumors of them from one of the people in my kingdom. An intellectual named D. When I was on the Dark Fortress, dying, I decided it would be worth it to try and see if the legend was true. I used the last of my strength to go to a dimension where I encountered many fallen warriors who had attempted to get to the Tribunal before me. It took all I had to defeat them, after Michael had taken much of my powers. Although difficult, I was able to come out triumphant and was found worthy to meet with the Tribunal of Magic.

"There, I met three beings, one embodying the White Spectrum of the Magic Grid, another the Black Spectrum, and another the Red Spectrum. They told me they were impressed with my resolve. They told me they knew why I had come to meet with them, and that they would grant me the power I needed to defeat Beelzebub. They said they felt partially responsible for Beelzebub becoming as powerful as he had, and that actions in their past led to him obtaining certain artifacts that put him on a course to allowing the Holy War to said that they believed if they had stopped an ancient evil, a man named Lothor who was the mentor to a man you knew named Ivicar, that they believe Beelzebub's story would have turned out much differently.

"Telling me this, they said that they were ashamed of their weakness in the past. They told me to ensure that Dark Specter did not crush Beelzebub, so that his destiny did not become one where he knew for a certainty that he would be the dominant force in the universe. They repowered me, even giving me more power than I had before, and provided the weapon with which I would be guaranteed to slay the enemy to my people... to the universe. They then told me to gather the Books of Time."

Zordon sighed. "Why tell me all of this?"

"They told me to, Zordon. They said that you are their champion, of their bloodline. They told me that you needed to know what was happening, because the weight of the universe rests on your shoulders." Castiel reported.

Zordon sighed. Muttering under his breath, he said, "It's not as if I don't already have a lot on my plate..."

Saba patted Zordon on the back. "I believe in you. We'll get out of here: I know it. And you will be able to tackle anything and everything in your way."

At that, a new Ethereal appeared on the scene, landing next to Castiel.

Having finished transferring the Gold Zeo Powers back to Trint, Tria approached Alpha and Zordon. Looking at the Ethereal, Tria said: "Hello, Metatron."

Metatron looked at her in confusion. "Do I know you?"

She smiled. "No, but I know you. Why are you here?"

Metatron snapped his fingers and caused a small table to appear before him: his workstation. On it were several artifacts. "I am here on order of King Castiel."

Castiel groaned. "Have they already started calling me that again?"

Metatron nodded. "Yes, your highness. D told everyone what happened. You have been reinstated as King of Eden."

Zordon looked at Metatron. "What is the order?"

Metatron nodded, pointing to each book. "These are the Books of Time. King Castiel told me to bring these here. This is the Book of Prophecies. This is the Xenotome. This is the Scroll of Destiny. And this is my personal transcript, called the Chronicles of the Universe, where I have noted what has transpired and cross check the actual events with what the other three books have predicted."

Zordon looked to Castiel. "Why has the Tribunal of Magic asked for these to be brought here?"

At that, a time vortex appeared. From out of it, Nathadian Ranger stepped out along with Zocato Ranger.

"Nathadian Ranger." Zordon said, acknowledging him. Looking at the red one, Zordon asked: "And who are you?"

"I am the Zocato Ranger." The voice belonging to the other Zordon said, having been recognized by the Future: Omega Ranger.

Nathadian Ranger nodded. The voice coming out of him seemed to belong to Zrin. "We are here because we know what is to happen next. We are here to pick up the Chronicles of the Universe, correct?"

Castiel nodded. "Yes. The Tribunal told me your nature. I do not know how you suppose to secure the Chronicles of the Universe, since they told me that it would decay where you preside, but they said you would be able to handle it."

Nathadian Zrin nodded. He thought about Trinity, but he shook his head unconsciously. He knew his orders. "We'll take care of it."

Castiel closed his eyes. He opened up his palm and recited an incantation he had learned from the Tribunal. Within moments, a man walked out of it. He wore a long brown robe with many inscriptions on the front apron. The man had mane-like surrounding his head down to his chin. He had pale skin with a thin skeletal frame. His eyes were sharp and piercing.

"I, the Oracle, have spoken to the Tribunal and have been awaiting you, King of the Ethereals. I will take the Book of Prophecy with me back to where I reign in the Magic Realm." The Oracle said. He thought on how good it had been to once again see his friends in the Tribunal of Magic. He had once been a guard over them when they were known as the Nathadians, and over the years since they were trapped in the Universal Magic Grid he had been blessed with a few opportunities, thanks to his advanced powers, to visit them and find out of their fate. It was not often he got to see them, though, and even with the circumstances being as important as they were, he was glad for the excuse to see his old friends.

Castiel nodded. He then looked around and stopped when his eyes fell upon Master Mao. "Mao, of the Order of the Claw."

Mao looked to the other members of the Order of the Claw around him. "Yes, I am Mao... But we go by a new name. Since the fall of Dai Shi, to commemorate a new era of our people, we now go by the name of Pai Zhua."

"Then Mao of the Pai Zhua... I have been commissioned to give you the Scrolls of Destiny to take care of. Can you do this?" Castiel said.

Mao nodded. "Although I have not been given the benefit of speaking with this Tribunal of Magic beforehand, I know solely due to your acts today that you are trustworthy. Please know that I, too, will be trustworthy with the Scrolls of Destiny."

After the different books had been distributed, Castiel looked to Zordon. "Master Zordon... I thank you for your courage and diligence. I... I am sorry for your predicament, but I have faith that someday, you will have your freedom once again."

"Thank you, Castiel. And may the Power protect you." Zordon said.

Castiel looked to Metatron. Nodding, they both extended their wings and flew out, back to their home.

As they all watched the Ethereals fly away, Saba tapped Zordon on the shoulder.

"Yes, Saba?"

"Something has been bothering me... The prophecy of the Holy War stated that whoever won the Holy War would be the supreme power of the universe. Well, who won? You or Dark Specter?" Saba asked.

"What do you mean by bringing Dark Specter into this?" Zordon asked.

"Well, he was the one who came in and interrupted the final battle. He was the one to destroy Michael, although he had been severely weakened. Then, _your_ empire destroyed Beelzebub under _your_ orders. So, the question I have is... who won? You or Dark Specter?"

Zordon nodded, understanding Saba's thinking outside of the box. "Interesting theory, Saba. Well... I guess if there is any merit to what you're saying, only time will tell who will end up coming out of this war alive... Me, or Dark Specter."

"Zordon! Zordon!" Tria screamed, running over to Alpha 4.

Zordon looked at her. His stomach was tied in knots as he saw tears streaming down her face. "What, Tria!? What is it!?"

Zocato Ranger walked forward, holding Trinity in his arms. He placed her at Alpha 4's feet. Clenching his fist in rage, he looked at Zordon. "On my way to this timeline, the Guardian told me her fate was already sealed. She had used the last of her lifeforce to shoot a blast of White Energy at Beelzebub. Without that hit, Beelzebub would have dodged Castiel and destroyed the Demon Blade. It was the fate, the destiny she had made for herself. I... I am very aware of what you are going through."

Zordon fell to his knees. He screamed in anger. "You don't know anything! You and the Guardian just play god with our lives! You could have saved her!"

Zocato Zordon clenched his fists in anger. "I had nothing to do with this! If I had known, I would have saved her! Your beef is with the Guardian, not me! I... I can't change anything! This is how it ends! There's no changing the past! I know that because I'm you!"

Demorphing, Zordon in his dimension watched as Zocato Ranger became... him. What he looked like when he had grown old.

"What...?" Zordon asked in shock.

Saba shook his head. "I... I don't understand."

Old Zordon's eyes began to become red as blood vessels burst. Being outside of his protective suit left him open to the decay the universe threatened to his kind of people. "I am closer to you than you think, Zordon. I, too, lost Trinity long, long ago. I guess it's Universal Equilibrium in a way."

Nathadian Ranger ran to him. "Dad! Stop!"

Zordon's eyes grew wide. "What? What!? I have a son!?"

Old Zordon sneered. "No! He is _my_ son!"

A time vortex opened behind the two foreigners to the universe. "This is not the time for this! We go now!"

Old Zordon looked at Tria. "Come!"

Tria shook her head. "Not yet... I will stay for now..."

"Come now!" Old Zordon demanded.

Tria glared at him. "I said I'm staying for now. Leave!"

Old Zordon morphed back into Zocato Ranger. As everyone gathered and watched the strange scene, Zocato and Nathadian Rangers turned and walked into the time vortex, disappearing.

"Trinity! No!" Zordon yelled, staring at her lifeless body. "No!"

. . .

 _Three Days Later..._

Zordon stared as they lowered the coffin into the ground in Angel Grove. The coffin contained the body of his beloved, Trinity.

Over the past few days, Tria had avoided Zordon. She knew he wanted answers, and she could not give them to him. It would make too many problems.

Zordon looked around, hoping to see Tria. He desperately wanted to know what was happening with the _other_ Zordon, and the man who said he was his son. _His_ son... perhaps.

Meanwhile, outside the funeral, Gosei and the Wizard of the Sands met with the Gaia Rangers.

"It's been fun." Marvelous said, smiling and hugging Luka. Holding his free hand was Miha.

The odd man out, Doc, shook his head. "It doesn't need to be this way..."

Guy nodded. "Yes, it does. We are living on borrowed time. Michael teleported the Power Cards to us and connected us to its raw energy. The longer we live, the more of the Power Cards we drain. The more we drain the Power Cards..."

Gosei finished his sentence: "... The more the Ranger Keys connected to them will drain. And since they are connected to the force field around the Greatest Treasure in the Universe, it will greatly weaken the force field, enough to the point that it will potentially allow someone powerful enough, someone like Dark Specter, to be able to crack the force field _without_ the Ranger Keys, or the Greater Powers attached to them."

Doc sighed. "It's not fair."

Miha laughed. "It's more than fair. We are heroes, and we will give our lives for the greater good."

Joe shrugged. "Besides, we've lived for long enough. It's time we get some rest. You can join us if you want..."

The five Gaia Rangers stared at Doc expectantly. After a moment of thought, Doc shook his head. "No, I have work still to do here."

Miha gave him a hug. "Well, you hurry on and finish, then. We'll be waiting for you."

Doc watched as, one by one, his longtime friends gave their Power Cards to Gosei. Suddenly, a white light appeared behind them. They began to step through, one by one.

"Stay hip, Doc." Joe said, vanishing.

"We'll miss you..." Luka said, waving as she walked backwards into the light.

"You're one enthusiastic guy, Doc. Thanks for picking up the work after me. I know you'll do great." Guy said, doing a cartwheel into the Afterlife.

Marvelous gave Doc a high five. "Remember, Doc. We'll be waiting." He then sprinted into the white light.

Miha smiled. With a tear in her eye, she walked forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for everything, Doctor Wilson Goier. For everything we've been through. For being my anchor. May the Power protect you."

"Until we meet again, Princess Miha Momomille." Doc said, waving goodbye to his sister.

Gosei wrapped his arm around Doc's shoulder. "Thank you for staying."

Doc nodded, determination replacing the sadness. "Let's get to work."

In space somewhere in the solar system near Earth, Loki(D) walked behind a limping Diabolico. In Loki(D)'s hand was the Power Card he had managed to secure during the battle on Earth. At one point, Beelzebub had dropped the card as the arm that had been holding it had been detached from his body.

Making their way to the throne where the dismembered Bansheera sat, Loki(D) handed the card to his Queen. By her side was Jinxer, while Vypra stood in a daze to the side in the shadows, trying to reinforce the defenses of her Mind Fortress against Ayame Ubi.

"It is time to restart Project White Genesis, my Queen!" Diabolico declared.

 _It is time for my son..._ Bansheera thought. Focusing all of her powers into the Resurrection Card, she watched as Black Energy erupted from it. Suddenly, in her mind, a voice echoed.

Who am I to retrieve for you?

 _Who are you!?_ Bansheera demanded.

Who do you wish to bring back to the land of the living? Answer now, or hold your peace from henceforth and forever.

 _My son! Bring me back my son!_ Bansheera yelled in her mind.

After a moment, the voice said, I will grant you your desire... in a way. The exact boy you ask for, Henry, is not dead. I will give you your son, though. He was your son in another timeline. His name is Impus.

"What!?" Bansheera screamed. "No!"

She looked down in disgust as a red, dragon-like creature appeared where the Resurrection Card once was.

"No! I've been cheated!" Bansheera screamed in agony.

"What is this? We risked our lives to go up against Beelzebub for a red baby!?" Diabolico yelled in anger.

Bansheera's mind was in a frenzy. She could not process anything that had occurred, until one thing sunk into her mind. Regardless of this poor excuse of an offspring being there before her, one important thing stood out in her mind: _Henry is alive... Somehow, and somewhere... Some remnant of the Nathadian Universe exists, and there... Henry is alive._

. . .

Alpha 4 walked down the corridor toward the main base's lab. He carried Zordon's monitor in hand. As he walked, turning a corner to another hallway, he was surprised to find Tria waiting at the end of the hall.

Zordon's eyes grew wide. "Tria!? I need to speak with you urgently!"

Tria sighed. "I... I have something to show you." She pulled out a small crystal and pointed it at the wall beside her. Suddenly, a hologram appeared on the wall. Zordon watched in wonder as he saw Trinity standing beside the Reaper, D. He watched as a white portal was before her.

"What is this?" Zordon asked.

"This is a clip of when Trinity crossed over to the Afterlife."

"Why show me this?"

"To let you know she is fine. Just not... here."

Zordon watched as D helped her to the portal. Looking closely, Zordon was able to perceive some figures standing in the white portal, hands outstretched toward Trinity: Dulcea, Orion, App, Animus, and Burai. Right before she walked through, Zordon saw her look back and stare at the monitor housing Zordon's face. His heart jumped into his throat as he watched her blow him a kiss goodbye. Then, taking Dulcea by the hand, she was pulled up into the Afterlife.

"You are a brave man, Zordon. I am extremely blessed to have known you." Tria said, a time vortex appearing behind her.

"Where are you going? Why won't you tell me more!?" Zordon demanded.

"It's for your own good, Zordon. The future needs to have some stability, and time stuff... I can't explain it well. Hopefully someday, we can have a real conversation about it." Tria said. Waving good, she stepped into the time vortex and vanished.

"Ay-yi-yi... Zordon..." Alpha 4 said.

Zordon clenched his jaw. "Head to the lab, Alpha."

Nodding, Alpha 4 walked into the lab. The robotic assistant placed the monitor at its normal spot.

"Now what do we do, Zordon?" Alpha 4 asked.

Saba sighed and nodded. "Yes, Zordon. Now what?"

Zordon wore a look of determination on his brow. His conviction was sure. His wife had given her life for the cause of universal freedom. If Saba was right, the universe would either live in freedom due to Zordon, or in slavery due to Dark Specter. He knew his wife had given everything to help ensure that the best possible future would happen. Zordon was not going to throw that away. He also knew that there were many things that he didn't understand, like who exactly were the Tribunal of Magic, and how did they apparently have connections to the Nathadians? Who was the other Zordon and the boy who was his son, and what was their connection to Orion, Tria, and the Guardian? All Zordon knew was that he had to fight for justice, to forge his destiny and to preserve the destiny of those who could not defend themselves.

Zordon looked to his right. On a wall was the amulet and morpher that once belonged to Trinity, hanging as a symbol of their relationship. Replying to both Saba and Alpha 4, Zordon said, "We are going to do what we can to honor the memories of all who have fallen for righteousness. We are going to play a game of intergalactic chess, where we will always be ten steps ahead of our foes. We will build up an army of power that cannot be stopped.

"We will have a power and a force that will have never been seen before, because we have the ability to morph... to even up the score. _No one_ will _ever_ take us down, because the Power lies on our side.

"We _know_ that the fate of the world, even the universe, lies in our hands. But, we must know to also only use our weapons for defense. If we remember to do these things, to follow the Order of Meledon, no one will _ever_ take us down." Zordon concluded, eyes still on Trinity's morpher.

"How will we accomplish such a thing?" Saba enquired.

"What are we going to do to get to the point where we can do this, Zordon?" Alpha 4 asked, not having heard Saba.

Zordon nodded. He looked to Saba, then to Alpha 4. "Before banishing her, I knew from Trinity that Rita Repulsa had been searching for the Dino Coins. Going back to my old research on exogenous conduits to the Morphing Grid, I think we could use them. I'm sure Rita had a similar plan in mind. Alpha 4? Start your scanners. We are going to find the Dino Coins."


	59. Part 0 - Chapter 30: New Perspectives

*****ONLY ONE CHAPTER LEFT IN THIS SAGA! STAY TUNED FOR CHAPTER THIRTY OF PART THREE FOR THE FINALE!*****

 **Chapter Thirty: New Perspectives**

Future: Omega Ranger sighed as he leaned back on the chair of his Chrono Work Station. He wished he could put his hand up to his face and rub the bridge on his nose, but he knew he couldn't risk demorphing within the Hall of Legends. Sighing, he stood up.

"Where are you going, Sam?" Sophie asked.

"Well, it's over. I finished the last log for File Three."

"What about File Zero?"

Omega shrugged. "I don't feel anything. No memory is coming in. I think it's done."

"What!? No! I mean, there are so many things I still want to know! What happened with the Dino Guardians against Mesogog? What about the Dino Gems? Did the Dragon Dino Coin help them get the Wild Sword? What about Abarekiller? The Gem of Souls? What happened with Killian, and when did he become a vigilante? What's up with the Tribunal of Magic? What were Dai Shi, Octomus, and Bansheera doing all during that time? I mean, I have so many questions!" Sophie said, feeling as if she'd been ripped off when it came to answers to her questions.

"Well, I know that the Dino Gems and someone going by the name Mesogog were the central conflict for the Dino Thunder team. I would have to guess the Dragon Coin didn't end up helping with the Wild Sword since the Megaforce team ended up having to excavate it, and Ninjor when he was speaking with Trinity said the Dragon Coin had been lost. We know Burai ended up with it somehow. The Gem of Souls was used at some point, if I recall, in the legends of the Ninja Storm team. That may be a part of the explanation of the man they fought who _also_ called himself Lothor. I remember that Auric the Conqueror was an ally of the Zeo Rangers, so my guess is that something happened to Killian and millions of years later he was still trapped as a tiki. I... These are just guesses, too. I honestly am only extrapolating from what I've studied on Ranger lore and putting two and two together." Future: Omega Ranger said, walking toward the main portal room.

"Well, why would Alpha Ranger end the visions there?" Sophie said, still disappointed.

Focusing, Omega Ranger began leaping up from platform to platform. "That's what I'm going to find out right now."

Within a few moments, the time ranger stood before the portal to the Inner Sanctum. "I'll see you when I return, Sophie."

"I'll keep working on trying to figure out what's happening on Earth, then. Leslie here said she thinks she may have found something." Sophie said.

Nodding, Omega Ranger stepped through the portal. As he did, he lost contact with Sophie, who was in a SPD shuttle orbiting Earth with the Gold SPD Ranger, Leslie Utahime. He looked up into the green sky as a lightning bolt made of what he had learned to know was a mix of Anti-Morphing and Morphing Energy. From the power, Alpha Ranger emerged.

"Auron." Future: Omega Ranger said, half to acknowledge his real name, half accusatory.

Alpha Ranger nodded. "So, you know who I really am. You've learned my past. I assume the memories I had prepared for you have finished telling their story."

"Yes, they have. But... why did they end where they did?"

"Because that was the story I wanted to have told. Yes, there are many other stories, like what happened with my Hunters and my struggle with Goliath and Demona, but I showed you what was important for your current project."

"Do you know why this is happening!?" Omega Ranger demanded. He found himself suddenly overwhelmed with emotions. He was frustrated with his situation and he hoped Alpha Ranger could provide a solution.

"I don't know why this is happening. All I know is I gave you the images I wanted to be included in your history. This record you are creating will be the key to fighting off whatever is happening in your world," Alpha Ranger said.

Omega Ranger threw his hands up in the air. "Come on! You're not telling me anything! Please! I need you to help me out! If you were able to transport that Gosei and Watcher out of here, why can't you get _me_ out of here!?"

"I already told you why. It had to do with the way they came here," Alpha Ranger said calmly.

Omega sneered behind his visor. "Isn't there _anything_ you can do!?"

Alpha sighed. "Let me explain to you what I am now. After Deviot messed with my connection to the Universal Morphing Grid, the tap I had to it started malfunctioning and having adverse reactions with the Anti-Morphing Grid. The two mixed together in such a way that I became some sort of universal anomaly. I became something the laws of the universe did not understand, so I was thrust out of it."

"What does this have to do with anything!?"

"Patience, Sam. You will see."

"Fine, but you're acting as if the universe is sentient or something now."

"Who's to say that it is not? And if it isn't, then it was just acting according to its programming... its instinct... its laws by which it is governed. Anyhow, I found myself floating in what the Watchers call the Nothingness. It is this primordial soup of Chaos surrounding the universe... the multiverse, in fact. There was still something about me, though, that kept me somewhat anchored to our universe. I was floating in the Nothingness, protected by the Morphing and Anti-Morphing Energy so that my body wasn't destroyed by the vacuum in the Nothingness. At the time, I did not know how long I was in the Nothingness, but it seemed like an eternity. All there was... was darkness. Nothing. Then one day, I saw something that at the time I could not comprehend, since it had been so long: light. It emanated from the universe and encapsulated itself around me. Suddenly, I saw a man. The two of us were in the light. We both heard a voice, and it asked the man what he wanted to be able to fight a being the voice had called Ultimecia, since the power source he had tapped into, what I would later learn was called a Power Egg, still had some energy left.

"At that, he saw me. He asked me who I was. After a moment trying to remember how to speak, I told him I was an Alpha. He stared at me again and called me the Alpha Power Ranger. At the time, I knew not what that meant. That man then took me as a template, I suppose, and became a Power Ranger. The man who you knew as the Guardian.

"He had just used a Power Egg, and it had created due to the pure desire in his heart the Hall of Legends. As I explained to you before, the Power Egg created the Hall around me because it was attracted to my power. From that point onward, the Guardian, his crew, and I worked together to plan and fight against Ultimecia."

Future: Omega Ranger nodded. "When you say his crew, you mean that other Zordon. Zrin, Orion, and Tria, too?"

"Yes, them."

"How did they get here?"

Do not ask anymore questions on that. You will find out soon enough. Alpha Ranger said, shooting his thought to Omega Ranger's mind via their shared Third Eye.

"Hu-?"

Do not speak! I will explain that shortly... Alpha Ranger thought-spoke.

Speaking out loud, Alpha said, "That is something that's not important right now. You must stay on topic."

"But... why?"

"Because the longer you stay here, focusing on the mysteries of the universe, the longer it'll take to finish the Power Ranger Archives, and the more your friends and the whole Earth stays in peril." Alpha Ranger said.

Omega Ranger narrowed his eyes. He began, without moving his head, looking around. He thought that there had to be a reason that Alpha Ranger was acting the way he was, and speaking psychically to him in private. The only thing that made sense, what send chills of dread down his spine, was that there was yet someone else in the Inner Sanctum, meaning in the Hall of Legends, who was inhibiting Alpha Ranger from acting the way he wanted to.

Nodding, Omega played along. He acted frustrated, to keep up appearances. "Fine! I guess I'm stuck playing indexer until I can get out of here!"

"It is for the best, Sam. Now, the reason I explained my backstory a bit more to you is to help you understand who I am. I am no god. I am solely a man who got wrapped up in something bigger than himself. I am not omniscient. I cannot tell you exactly what is going on. All I know is that what you are doing is a good thing, and I can see the wisdom in it. Now... I am feeling weak. I have used up much of my energy staying in this form here before you. I must head back to rest within the Morphing Grid and Anti-Morphing Grid."

"Wait, the skies here _are_ those two Grids?"

"Yes, and no. My presence here creates a sort of midpoint between the Hall of Legends and the two different Morphing Grids in the universe. I am a portal, so to speak. I am a segue between the Morphing and Anti-Morphing Grids of the universe to here. In one way, it exists here and there simultaneously because of me."

"I... Okay, got it." Omega Ranger lied.

"May the Power Protect you..." Alpha Ranger said as Omega turned to walk back through the portal, back to the portal room of the Hall of Legends.

As Omega Ranger walked back, Alpha Ranger sent a message to his head: If you look closely within the Hall of Legends, you will find something the Guardian and I named "Memory Spheres". If you find them, Sam, you will have many of your questions answered.

At that, the Future: Omega Ranger stepped through the portal and went back to the Hall of Legends. As he did, Alpha Ranger sighed and folded his arms across his chest. "Are you happy now?"

A hologram suddenly appeared in the Inner Sanctum. In the hologram was Supreme Commander Anubis Cruger. "Happy? No. But this is for the best."

Alpha Ranger walked toward the hologram. "How are things on Earth?"

Cruger sighed. "Unclear. We are having a hard time breaking that firewall placed around the planet. Time Force has detected a surge indicating that the Watchers have found a way to break through the firewall, though."

"No..." Alpha Ranger said, looking down in shock.

"I know. I can only guess what is happening on Earth with the Watchers and Freelancers being thrown into the mix." Anubis said. "But, I appreciate your help with Sam. I know you don't agree with me keeping him in the dark, but I know him better than you. He's a hothead and would waste time trying to break out of here rather than finishing the Power Ranger Archives if he knew the truth."

"Well, it's for the greater good..." Alpha Ranger said, not divulging to Anubis about the existence of the Memory Spheres, as well as what they were or the fact that he pointed Omega Ranger in their direction.

Anubis nodded. "Thank you for putting on a brave face. I will need your help with him once the Power Ranger Archives are finished. It's the only way to stop that maniac from finishing her version of the Crisis Crunch."

"She is indeed a force to be reckoned with." Alpha Ranger said.

"The Abyss hath no fury like a woman scorned." Anubis said, shaking his head.

"Truer words, especially about her, were never spoken. I just wish I knew what was happening on Earth... How close she was to perfecting the Crisis Crunch." Alpha Ranger said.

"Well, we were able to uncover one transmission that seemed to have been sent recently." Cruger said. As he did, a quadrangular hologram appeared next to Anubis. Alpha Ranger watched as the screen flickered and buffered. The image of the Red SPD Ranger, Bridge Carson, appeared on the monitor.

"This... Bridge Cars... Help! Repeat... Un... Attack... Omega... battle..." And at that, suddenly, the image came through clearly and stopped chopping. "... and I don't know how he hopes to do any good there. Commander Tate took one group and I have the other. My group has already escaped Newtech City. We are rushing to get to Angel Grove to activate the device Boom thinks can get us into contact with Triforia. I just hope Sky's group can stand a chance against the Omega Ranger and those suited guys who showed up."

Anubis looked at Alpha. "That was the best we could do. It was a miracle Alex was able to pull any of the message out at all."

Alpha nodded. "Your Time Force does seem to have a lot of knowledge about time. I am glad they have finally come to their senses and are actually _helping_ now."

Anubis narrowed his eyes and unconsciously growled at that remark. Time Force and SPD had a complicated relationship with Alpha Ranger. He had been very critical of them, and up until they had applied Time Barriers on the different timelines he had been an antagonist to their efforts. "Yes, Time Force is very knowledgable. They are doing all they can to stop this threat. A threat caused by the Time Barriers."

Alpha Ranger shook his head and laughed in disbelief. "I'm not going into this with you, Doggie. It was the right thing to do. And that's my last word on the subject."

"Fine. Just... keep track of Sam and see if you can crack through the block." Anubis said.

"Okay, Anubis. And, regardless of our differences of opinion, may the Power protect you." Alpha Ranger said, bowing to him in respect.

Anubis returned the gesture. "And may the Power protect you, too."

As Anubis vanished, Alpha thought, _I only pray that Sam doesn't need to finish the Power Ranger Archives, and that we can get to Earth in time. If not, then all is lost._


	60. Part 3 - Chapter 30: A New Resolve

**Chapter Thirty: A New Resolve**

The Future: Omega Ranger stepped back onto the platform after leaving the Inner Sanctum. He clenched his fist in anger. Frustrated that he seemed to be caught in more of a predicament than he had originally thought, what with the all but confirmation that someone was manipulating Alpha Ranger, he couldn't think of anything else to do to vent but fume.

"Okay, Sam! Good news!" Sophie said.

"No, I only have bad news." Omega reported.

"No, I mean _I_ have good news. Leslie found a stray message coming from Earth and was able to capture it so I could try and unscramble it. Well, I did it."

Forgetting about his problems momentarily, Omega felt a glimmer of hope hit him. "Fantastic. I'll head back to the Chrono Work Station to check it out."

Future: Omega Ranger leapt off the highest platform in the large foyer and began to dive down. He could feel the wind whip past him as he sailed down to the bottom level. As he fell, he saw portals to the timelines of the Operation Overdrive, Wild Force, Galaxy, and Mighty Morphin' teams. Each portal doorway having been deactivated for quite some time.

Landing, he rolled forward slightly. He then leapt up and raced to the Chrono Work Station to view whatever information Sophie had ready for him.

Plopping down on his chair, Omega said, "So, what's this message you have?"

"It's from Commander Sky Tate. Here it is." Sophie said.

Omega watched as the image of Sky popped up on his main screen. "This is SPD Earth Commander Sky Tate. I am reporting in for anyone who can read this: We are under attack. The Future: Omega Ranger has ambushed SPD Headquarters and taken it for himself. With who we could gather and salvage, we split up into two groups. One is led by the Red Ranger and the other by me. We have stayed behind in Newtech City to try and fight Omega.

"While this has happened and after the shield went up blocking Earth from the universe at large, a group of people have appeared led by men in suits. I tried going up against one myself and I have to report that things did not end up going well for me. My group is currently trying to plan a way to break through Omega's stronghold while Bridge Carson is attempting to reach Angel Grove on a hunch by our Lead Engineer, Boom. Please pray for us, and I will send another message if I can."

Sighing, Omega Ranger looked up as if he was talking to Sophie, who would be on the ceiling. "At least they're alive... some of them, at least." Although the message had not given the fate of some of the members of SPD, it did give him the information he desperately had wanted: the fate of Boom. They were very close one to another, and knowing he was still doing what he could to fight whoever the Fake Future: Omega Ranger was made him feel a little invigorated. As if there was still hope.

"Yeah. Leslie is currently sending it to the other SPD Branches, while also sending a copy to Time Force." Sophie explained.

"Ugh... Although they aren't my favorite group of people, I guess we need their expertise."

"So, until then, what's next? What do you do now that you're finished?"

"Finished? Finished with what?" Omega asked, confused.

"The Power Ranger Archives."

"Oh, I'm not finished. I only finished File Zero. I still have quite a few files to go with this current folder, but I'm going to add it in as a separate folder since this one I am doing for File Three is currently getting bigger than I want."

"I didn't know there was more! How much more!?"

"After I finish this folder, over twenty more."

"Wow... This is going to take a while!"

"Unfortunately. It's a good thing my physiology is frozen while I'm here in the Hall. No need for sleep, bathroom breaks, or anything like that. I need to plow through this if I want to save the others from the fake me."

"Okay. One question, then. You said things hadn't gone well with Alpha Ranger. What happened?"

"I think he is being monitored." Future: Omega Ranger said, turning his comm device to project solely out to Sophie, on the off chance someone was listening.

"What!?"

"Yeah. He sent a psychic message to me saying that he couldn't speak to me openly, then told me that somewhere in the Hall of Legends was something called a Memory Sphere. He said it would answer the questions I had."

"Really!? That's amazing! Where is it!?"

"I don't know. He told me telepathically that it was hidden somewhere here. I don't even know where to start looking, though."

Sophie thought for a moment. Coming up with an idea, she said: "Why don't you use that power Alpha Ranger gave you to find it?"

"That's... a great idea. I think I will do that!" Future: Omega Ranger said as he stood up from the chair. Focusing, he tapped into his Third Eye. Looking around, he suddenly saw a mass of energy emitting from behind a wall near him. He slowly walked over to the wall. Summoning his Legend Sword, he slashed at the wall, creating a hole in it.

"Is it in there?" Sophie asked.

Omega nodded. He reached in and felt a rough fabric. Pulling it up, he noticed it seemed to be made of the same material as the cloak the Guardian used to wear over his ranger suit.

"What's in it...?" Sophie asked again, seeing everything through Omega's eyes.

Opening up the fabric that had been acting like a bag, he saw several small orbs sitting in the canvas like bag. He picked one up and felt a strong connection to it. Suddenly, a bolt erupted from it and crackled over him. As he convulsed, he heard the Guardian's voice:

"I am the Guardian of the Hall of Legends. I have left these Memory Spheres for you, Sam. I know they will be eventually recorded into your index, my good friend, and I trust my history to you in them. The powers of the Alpha Ranger will guide you to know which Memory Sphere to pick for your index. Good luck with everything, and may the Power protect you."

"Ungh..." Omega groaned as he pulled himself up.

As Omega began carrying the Memory Spheres to the Chrono Work Station, Sophie said: "Well, that was intense. So... what are you going to do? Create another file like you did for Alpha Ranger's memories?"

Omega shook his head as he sat down. "No, I need to get on with this. My friends are alive and I need to get to them as soon as possible. I can't afford anymore distractions. I'll finish a file from Folder Three and just tack on whatever each Memory Sphere says at the end of each file/chapter of my report."

"I can't blame you for doing that. Sky and the others do need us." Sophie remarked.

"So, shall we get started? From some reason the first file after Trinity's funeral is five thousand years later. I guess Cruger didn't warrant the other parts of the history to be crucial enough to be added to this project?"

Shrugging, Sophie agreed. "I guess so."

Omega Ranger pulled up the first file of the next part of his index and cracked his knuckles. "Okay. Let's see what's next."

As he said this, the projection opened up. It showed an image of a vast desert. Suddenly, a beam of light descended from the sky and landed on the sand. From the light hitting the sand emerged Diabolico carrying Bansheera, followed by Vypra, Loki(D), and Jinxer carrying in his arms the Demon who seemed to still be an infant, Impus.

The group watched as, pushing himself through the sandstorm, a man in a hooded cloak approached them. Throwing off his hood, the face of Darkonda was revealed. "Queen Bansheera! I appreciate your acceptance of my invitation!"

Bansheera sneered at him through the blowing sand. "Do you have what you promised me!?"

Darkonda bowed to her. "But of course, your majesty. Everyone, follow me! I will now lead you to the Greatest Treasure in the Universe!"


End file.
